Calculating Pressure in Various Scenarios

How do we calculate the pressure in different situations?

Calculate the pressure for the following scenarios:

1. A football player is tackled by another player and lands with the combined weight of both players on his knee. If the combined weight of the players is 2400 N and the player's knee measures 0.1 m by 0.1 m, how much pressure is exerted on the turf when the player lands on his knee?
2. A forestry worker accidentally strikes a pipe with the end of a pickaxe while trying to dig a hole. If the pickaxe strikes with a force of 2000 N and the end of the pickaxe measures 0.02 m by 0.01 m, how much pressure is exerted on the pipe by the pickaxe?
3. A skateboarder lands on all four wheels after riding a railing. If the skateboarder has a weight of 900 N and the area on the bottom of a single wheel is 0.0001 m, what pressure does the skateboard put on the ground?
4. Calculate the pressure for the following situation: 700 N²m
5. A swordfish jumps out of the water and the tip of its pointy upper jaw strikes a wooden wall of a fishing boat with 7500 N of force. If the tip of the pointy jaw has an area of 0.0004 m², what pressure is placed on the part of the wooden wall that is struck by the jaw?
6. A brick delivery truck parks on a roadside scale that measures 4 m by 6 m. If the brick truck weighs 60,000 N, what pressure does the scale put on the spring below?

Answer

The pressure exerted in each scenario is calculated by dividing the applied force by the area over which the force is spread. Pressures are 240,000 Pa, 10,000,000 Pa, 2,250,000 Pa, an invalid measurement, 18,750,000 Pa, and 2500 Pa respectively.

Explanation: The pressure exerted by an object can be calculated by dividing the force applied by the object by the area over which the force is distributed. This concept comes from the formula Pressure = Force/Area. The pressure exerted by the football player is 2400 N / 0.01 m² = 240,000 Pa (Pascals). The pressure exerted by the pickaxe is 2000 N / 0.0002 m² = 10,000,000 Pa. The pressure from the skateboard is calculated by dividing the total force by the area of 4 wheels. That gives us 900 N / (4 * 0.0001 m²) = 2,250,000 Pa. The statement '700 N²m' is incorrect as pressure is measured in Pascals (Pa), which is equivalent to N/m². The pressure exerted by the swordfish is 7500 N / 0.0004 m² = 18,750,000 Pa. The pressure exerted by the brick truck is 60,000 N / 24 m² = 2500 Pa.