Here is my question, verbatim: Given a column of air with a pressure of 1.57 x 105 Pa and an area of 0.96 m2 and given that the acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s2, what is the mass of this column?

Now, to me it looks like I need to use the equation m=AP/a. Doing that I get 1.54x 10^4 but that seems to be off one decimal place, like it should be 15.4 instead.

Can anyone help me out here?

I get = 15.4e4

Think of it this way: Pressure/Area * area is a force
f=mass * acceleration

so mass = f/G; f=1.57e5*0.96/9.8

Hm... I'm getting 1.54 x 10^4 too... and I got that thrice...