Which instrument primarily uses ambient static pressure to indicate altitude?

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Multiple Choice

Which instrument primarily uses ambient static pressure to indicate altitude?

Altitude is read from an instrument that relies on ambient static pressure from the outside air. The altimeter uses sealed aneroid wafers that respond to the outside static pressure: as you climb, pressure drops, and the instrument shows a higher altitude; as you descend, pressure rises, showing a lower altitude. It must be set to the local pressure (altimeter setting) so the reading corresponds to the correct reference level. The other instruments work on different principles—an attitude indicator is gyroscopic and shows orientation, not pressure; airspeed indicator uses dynamic pressure from the pitot tube relative to static pressure to display speed; vertical speed indicator tracks the rate of change of static pressure to indicate climb or descent rate.

Altitude is read from an instrument that relies on ambient static pressure from the outside air. The altimeter uses sealed aneroid wafers that respond to the outside static pressure: as you climb, pressure drops, and the instrument shows a higher altitude; as you descend, pressure rises, showing a lower altitude. It must be set to the local pressure (altimeter setting) so the reading corresponds to the correct reference level. The other instruments work on different principles—an attitude indicator is gyroscopic and shows orientation, not pressure; airspeed indicator uses dynamic pressure from the pitot tube relative to static pressure to display speed; vertical speed indicator tracks the rate of change of static pressure to indicate climb or descent rate.

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