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Understanding Pressure Calculations

The document discusses pressure and how it is calculated. Pressure is defined as force over area. It provides examples of how an elephant exerts more pressure than a woman in high heels due to differences in force and area. The document also shows calculations of pressure for each example and discusses how pressure is useful, such as in pushing drawing pins into boards. It suggests an experiment to measure pressure exerted by different body parts and provides a pressure calculations worksheet.

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Deen Zakaria
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44 views11 pages

Understanding Pressure Calculations

The document discusses pressure and how it is calculated. Pressure is defined as force over area. It provides examples of how an elephant exerts more pressure than a woman in high heels due to differences in force and area. The document also shows calculations of pressure for each example and discusses how pressure is useful, such as in pushing drawing pins into boards. It suggests an experiment to measure pressure exerted by different body parts and provides a pressure calculations worksheet.

Uploaded by

Deen Zakaria
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

PRESSURE

D. Crowley, 2008

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Pressure
To be able to calculate pressure

Pressure
Look at the pictures below who exerts more pressure on the

ground, the elephant, or the lady in stilettos?

versus

Pressure
Pressure is exerted when a force is applied over an area
Pressure is measured in Newtons per square meter (N/m2) also

known as Pascals (Pa) it can also be measured in N/cm2

1N/m2 = 1Pa

With a big enough area, you can stay on top of the powder

Pressure
To work out pressure you need to know two things: The force (or weight) applied The area over which the force (or weight) acts upon

Force (F)

Pressure (P)
Pressure = Force Area

Area (A)
Force = Pressure x Area

Area = Force Pressure

Pressure
Calculate the pressure: If the weight of the elephant is 10000N with an area of 4500cm2 If the weight of the lady is 600N with an area of 150cm2

versus Pressure = 10000 4500 =2.2N/cm2 Pressure = 600 150 =4N/cm2

Pressure
Pressure can be extremely useful - drawing pins have a large round

end for you to push the sharp end into a notice board
The round end applies a low pressure to your thumb, but the sharp

end applies a high pressure to the notice board, so it pushes in

4 Legs
Explain why leaning on one chair leg, instead of the normal four, is

not sensible (in terms of pressure)


Remember, the force (your weight) does not change However, youve now reduced the area by 4x, so the pressure

applied by the one remaining leg is 4x as much (bad for the chair and the floor)!

Experiment
Measure how much pressure your exert on the ground (test two

feet; one foot; your hands; your head; your bum etc)
Using graph paper, draw around your chosen exertion points, and

work out your area (count the number of squares inside each small square is 1cm2)
Find your weight (using the Newton meters) Finally calculate your pressure (force area)

Pressure Bingo

Questions
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

48/12 44/2 49/7 88/8 80/5 2500/50 1500/10 308/14 832/13 756/18 495/15 81/9 39/3

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

4 22 7 11 16 50 150 22 64 42 33 9 13

14. 350/5 15. 315/3 16. 56/2 17. 630/3 18. 1080/10 19. 96/1 20. 144/2 21. 1000/50 22. 18/1 23. 64/8 24. 147/7 25. 8600/100

= = = = = = = = = = = =

70 105 28 210 108 96 72 20 18 8 21 86

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