When comparing two columns filled with water at sea level, what will the pressure gauges read if both are 88 feet high?

When comparing the pressure gauges of two columns filled with water, it is essential to understand how pressure in a static fluid is determined. At sea level, the pressure exerted by a column of water only depends on the height of the water column above the point where the pressure is measured, as well as the density of the fluid and the acceleration due to gravity.

In this scenario, if both water columns are exactly 88 feet high, they have the same height and, consequently, the same hydrostatic pressure at the bottom of each column. This pressure is generated by the weight of the water in the column above the gauge, which isn't influenced by the columns' distance apart or their individual configuration—as long as they are at the same height.

Thus, if both columns are the same height and filled with water, the pressure gauges at the bottom of both will read the same pressure, reflecting the hydrostatic pressure due to the height of the liquid column. This is governed by the equation that defines pressure in a fluid:

[ P = h \cdot \rho \cdot g ]

where ( P ) is pressure, ( h ) is the height of the fluid column (88 feet, in this case), ( \rho