Question

The leg bone (femur) breaks under a compressive force of about 7.40×10⁴ N for a human and 11.3×10⁴ N for a horse. The human femur has a compressive strength of 160MPa, whereas the horse femur has a compressive strength of 140 MPa. What is the effective cross-sectional area of the femur in a human?

Answer 1

The effective cross-sectional area of the femur in a human can be calculated using the formula A = F / σ, where A is the effective cross-sectional area, F is the compressive force, and σ is the compressive strength. Using the given information, the effective cross-sectional area of the femur in a human is approximately 0.46 × 10⁻³ square meters.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effective cross-sectional area of the femur in a human can be calculated using the formula:

A = F / σ

Where A is the effective cross-sectional area, F is the compressive force, and σ is the compressive strength.

Using the given information, the compressive force for a human femur is 7.40×10⁴ N and the compressive strength is 160 MPa. Substituting these values into the formula:

A = (7.40×10⁴) / (160×10⁶)

Simplifying the calculation:

A = 0.46 × 10⁻³ m²

Therefore, the effective cross-sectional area of the femur in a human is approximately 0.46 × 10⁻³ square meters.