Physics Form 4 1

Chapter 3 Pressure
3.1 Understanding Pressure
Example 1
An elephant weighing 30,000N stands on one foot. The area of the foot in contact with the
ground is 1500 cm
2
. Calculate the pressure it exerts on the floor.
Example 2
A person wearing showshoes applies a pressure of 350 !a with each footstep. "f the area
co#ered $% a showshoe is 0.1 m
2
, what is the mass of the person&
Example 3
Crime scene in#estigators ha#e found some t%re prints on a dirt road at a crime scene. 'rom the
depth of the t%re prints the% deduce that 12,(00 !a of pressure was applied $% the getawa%
#ehicle. The area of contact $etween the four t%res and the dirt road was measured to $e ()
cm
2
. *hat is the mass of the #ehicle&
Example 4
Calculate the pressure on a wall when the palm of a hand with area 150cm
2
is pushed against
the wall with a force of 210N.
Example 5
A teacher who weighs (3N has a foot with a surface area of 200cm
2
. *hen he stands on one
foot, calculate the force applied on each s+uare centimeter of foot&
Example 6
Calculate the pressure exerted at the point of a drawing pin if pushed against a $oard with a
force of 5N, assuming the area of the point is 0.1mm
2
.
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Pressure
= Fore
!rea
Physics Form 4 2
Example "
A (),g person is standing on a lawn. Calculate the pressure applied to the soft ground if she is
wearing-
.a/ flat shoes with a total contact surface area of 1(0cm
2
each
.$/ high0heeled shoes with a total contact area of 51cm
2
each
Assume g 2 3.)ms
02
Example #
A $loc, of metal of dimensions 0.5m x 0.(m x 1.0m has a mass of 300,g. Calculate the-
.a/ maximum pressure acting on the ground
.$/ minimum pressure acting on the ground
Example $
A student is pressing a thum$tac, into a piece of wood with a force of 20N. The surface area of
the head of the thum$tac, is 1cm and the cross sectional area of the tip of the thum$tac, is
0.01cm. Calculate-
.a/ the pressure exerted $% the student4s thum$ on the head of the thum$tac,
.$/ the pressure of the tip of the thum$tac, on the wood
*hat conclusion can $e drawn from %our answers in .a/ and .$/&
Example 1%
The figure $elow shows a card$oard $ox placed on a soft ground in two different
orientations.
Calculate the pressure exerted on the soft ground in each case.
Example 11
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Physics Form 4 3
The figure $elow shows a student pressing a drawing pin with a force of 15 N into a
piece of wood. The surface area of the head of the pin is 1cm
2
and the cross sectional
area of the head of the pin is 0.01cm
2
.
Calculate-
a/ The pressure exerted $% the student4s thum$ on the head of the drawing pin.
$/ The pressure of the tip of the drawing pin on the wood
Example 12
A5mi placed a $loc, of copper, with dimensions 1cm 6 2 cm 6 5 cm, on his palm. *hat
is the minimum pressure exerted on his palm&
7Copper densit% 2 500 ,g m
03
8
9xample 13
*en :ui has a mass of 1 ,g. ;he wears a pair of high0heeled shoes that co#er 105
cm
2
of floor area.
a/ *hat is the a#erage pressure .in ,!a/ that her shoes exert on the floor&
$/ :ow does the pressure change when she puts all her weight on the heel of
one shoe with a surface area of contact of 1.5 cm
2
&
9xample 11
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