Final answer:
Pressure is calculated using the formula P = F/A, where F is the force due to mass and gravity and A is the contact area. The pressure exerted on the floor is higher in high-heeled shoes compared to tennis shoes due to the smaller contact area.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pressure that a block or person exerts on the floor can be calculated using the formula pressure (P) = force (F) applied per area (A). This relates directly to the mass of the object or individual and the contact area with the floor. If a person weighs 60.0 kg and is standing flat-footed wearing tennis shoes with a sole area of 180 cm2, and the gravitational acceleration is 9.8 m/s2, the pressure exerted on the floor can be calculated. Similarly, if the same person steps onto a dance floor with high heels with an area of 1.0 cm2, the pressure will be different due to the smaller contact area. To calculate the pressure in both scenarios:
Flat-footed Pressure:
First, convert the mass to the force by multiplying by the gravitational acceleration (F = m * g).
Then convert the area into meters squared (m2).
Finally, divide the force by the area to get the pressure in pascals (Pa).
High-heeled Pressure:
Follow the same steps, but make sure to use the much smaller area of the heel.
It's worth noting that the pressure while wearing high-heeled shoes will be much greater due to the smaller area of contact, even though the same force is applied because the person's mass and gravity are constant.