Question

Suppose that a large cargo truck needs to cross a bridge. The truck is 30 m long and 3.2 m wide. The cargo exerts a force of 54,000 N. The bridge can only withstand 450 Pa of pressure. Is it safe for the truck to cross the bridge?

A) Yes, because the truck applies less pressure than the bridge can support.
B) No, because the truck applies more pressure than the bridge can support.
C) There is not enough information to answer the question.

Answer 1

The pressure is simply the force (54 000N) into area (30m x 3,2m).
The solution is:
`(54 000 N)/(30m x 3,2m)`
Then we get 562,5 Pa (N/m^2)
If bridge can carry only 450 Pa then correct answer is B).