LESSON 3.

1
Understanding pressure
(P)

Application of pressure
(1) The surface area of the head of thumbtack
is large but the cross-sectional area of tip
of the thumbtack is small. The high
pressure of the tip causes the thumbtack
to go into the wood easily.
(2) A ladys high heel shoe with a small base
exerts a higher pressure than a man shoe
with a flat base.
(3) A smaller area of the edge of knife causes
the knife can cut and penetrates hard
materials.
(4) Walking over deep snow is difficult and
tiring because your feet sink at every
steps. Skies or snowshoes make it much
easier because they stop you from sinking
in. The skies causes the pressure
becomes smaller.
(5) The sole of an ice is fixed a narrow metal
bar. The high pressure on surface of the
ice so that the ice melts and allowing the
ice skater to glide smoothly .
(6) Racing bicycles need very high air
pressure inside the tyres, because the
narrow tyres have a very small contact
area with the road. The hard road surface
can support the high pressure under the
wheels.
(7) Heavy vehicles which travel over soft
ground need very wide tyres. This
provides a large contact area and a lower
pressure against the ground and prevents
them sinking in.
(8) A high building possesses a huge surface
so that the lower pressure acting on it
prevents the building from sinking into the
ground.
(9) Studs on the soles of a pair of football give
the player a better grip of the ground as he
dribbles the or running on the field .
(10) An elephant is able to move on soft ground
or mud because the large area of its feet
reduces the pressure on the ground.

Definition and the S.I unit of Pressure (P)

Pressure is defined as the force acting normally on
a unit of surface area.
Or
Pressure = Normal force
Area
P = F
A
P = Pressure F = Force A = Surface area
The S.I. of pressure is Nm-2 or pascal(Pa)
Example 1
On a table is a full box of groceries which has a
weight of 160 N. The area of the base of the box is
0.2 m2 . What is the pressure between the box and
the table top?
Solution

Example 2
A metal block with the dimensions of 0.05 m x 0.10
m x 0.20 m is placed on a floor. If the mass of the
metal block is 0.5 kg , what is
(a) the maximum pressure and
(b) the minimum pressure
that can exerted by the metal block on the floor
Solution

46

TUTORIAL 3.1
6
1

The figure shows a school bag.

1 Pa is equivalent to
A
C

1 N m2
1 N m-2

B
D

1 m N-2
1 m N2

Figure shows a wooden block on a horizontal

surface. The block will exert maximum
pressure on a horizontal surface if it is resting
on its face

What is the function of x?

A
B
C
D
7

A
C
3

B
C
D

B
D

TWXU
UVXY

100 N m- 2
333 N m - 2
620 N m - 2

B
D

1.2 x 10 2 m-2
4.5 x 10-2 m-2

The mass of a tractor is 4000 kg. The area of

contact between a tractors tyre and the soft
ground is 0.5 m2. The tractor has four tyres.
(a) Calculate
(i) the total area of contact between
the tractors tyre and the soft
ground.
the pressure exerted by the tractor
on the soft ground.

(b) Explain why a car cannot moves on the

soft ground although the mass of the car
is less than the mass of the tractor?
.................................................................
..
.................................................................
..
(c) What happens to the area of contact
between the tractors tyre and the soft
ground if the air pressure inside the tyres
is decreased?

200 N m -2
480 N m - 2

.................................................................

The mass of a boy is 60 kg. The pressure

exerted by the boy on a floor is 2 x 10 4 Pa.
What is the area of contact between the
shoes base of the boy and the floor.
A
C

to increase weight and to increase

pressure
to increase surface area and to decrease
pressure
to decrease weight and to decrease
pressure
to decrease surface area and to increase
weight

(ii)

the low pressure between the edge of

the metal bar and the ice melts
the high pressure between the edge of
the metal bar and the ice melts
the low pressure between the edge of
the metal bar and the ice freezes
the high pressure between the edge of
the metal bar and the ice freezes

A wooden block with the dimensions of 3 m

x 4 m x 5 m is placed on a floor. If the mass of
the metal block is 400 kg , what is the
maximum pressure that can exerted by the
metal block on the floor?
A
C
E

STUV
WXYZ

An ice skater is able to glide smoothly across

the surface of the ice because
A

8.0 x 10-2 m-2

B
D

.................................................................

..

3.0 x 10-2 m-2

6.0 x 10-2 m-2

47

Figure (a) shows two different situations of a

woman wearing a high heel shoes and then
wearing a flat shoes.
Figure(b) shows two different situations of a
skier without wearing snowshoes and then
wearing snowshoes.

Figure(a) and Figure(b) show two ways in

which a gardener moves a wheelbarrow on a
muddy road.

Figure(a)

Figure(a)
Figure(b)
(a) Observe the Figure (a) and Figure (b) ,state
two observations about the surface area
contact , the depth of sinking and the force
involved.
.

Figure(b)

(a) On Figure(a) and Figure(b) ,indicate and

label:
(i) the direction of force F exerted by
the gardener on the handle of each
wheelbarrow to make it move.

(ii)

the direction of the vertical

component Fy , of the force in (a)(i)

(b) (i)

Based on the answers in (a)(i) and

(a)(ii), which of the ways is more
suitable on the muddy road?

........

(b) Explain why the difference of the observations

occur?

(ii) Explain the reason for your answer

in (b)(i).

..

(c) Relate your answers in(a) and (b) to deduce

the a concept in physics.

.
(d) A man wearing snowshoes applies a pressure
of 2500 Pa . If the area covered by a
showshoe
is 0.15 m2,what is the mass of the man?

(c)

48

The wheel of the wheelbarrow exerted

pressure on the muddy road . The

resultant force exerted by the wheel on

the road surface is 500 N and the area of
the wheel in contact with the road is 2 x
10-3 m2.
(i) What does the word pressure
mean?

(b) Compare the depth of sinking the pencil

in the plasticine, the conditions of the
pencil ,the load and the conditions of the
handwriting.
Relate the comparisons to deduce a
concept in physics .
(b) Explain why a footballer likes
Ronaldinho
wearing a football boot has sharp
studs?

(ii)

Calculate the pressure exerted on

the surface of the muddy road.

11

Figure below shows a tractor and a car

Moving on the same surface of the muddy
road.

(iii) State one modification that could

be made to the wheelbarrow to
reduce the pressure exerted on the
road. Explain your answer.
Observe the depth of sinking of the tractors
and the cars tyres.
Based on the observations:
(a) State one suitable inference that
can be made.
(b) State one appropriate hypothesis
for an investigation.
(c) With the use of apparatus such as
plasticine, wooden rod and other
apparatus , describe an
experimental framework to test
your hypothesis.
In your description , state clearly
the following:
(i) Aim of the experiment
(ii) Variables in the experiment
(iii) List of apparatus and
materials
(iv) Arrangement of the apparatus
(v) The procedure of the
experiment which include the
method of controlling the
manipulated variable and the
method of measuring the
responding variable.
(vi) Way you would tabulate the
data
(vii) Way you would analysis the
data

.
.
..
..
10

Figure(a) shows two situations of a pencil

with a load is placed on the top of the pencil
sinking into a plasticine before and after it is
sharpen
Figure(b) shows two conditions a
handwriting by using a pencil before and
after it is sharpen.

Figure(a)

Figure(b)
(a) Observe the Figure (a) and Figure (b).
49