Question

HELP! When you hold a rectangular object, how does the area of the side that is resting on your hand affect the pressure and the force that the object exerts?

Answer 1

The larger the surface area touching your hand is, the lower the pressure is.

Step-by-step explanation:

The side with the largest surface area applies the least pressure and force. This is because the weight and mass is more distributed amongst the larger surface area

Answer 2

The larger the area, the lower the pressure. The force does not depend on the area

Step-by-step explanation:

- The force exerted by the object on your hand does not depend on the area of contact between the object and the hand, but only on the weight of the object:

`F=mg`

where mg is the weight of the object.

- The pressure exerted by the object on your hand is given by:

`p=(F)/(A)`

where F is the force and A is the area of contact between the object and the hand. From this equation, we see that when the area of contact A is larger, the pressure p exerted on your hand is lower, and vice-versa.