Question

Calculate the average pressure exerted on the palm of a shot-putter’s hand by the shot if the area of contact is 50.0cm² and he exerts a force of 800N on it. Express the pressure in N/m² and compare it with the 1.00×10⁶ Pa pressures sometimes encountered in the skeletal system.

1. 1.60×10⁵ N/m², Higher
2. 3.20×10⁵ N/m², Higher
3. 6.40×10⁵ N/m², Equal
4. 8.00×10⁵ N/m², Equal

Answer 1

The average pressure exerted on the palm of a shot-putter's hand by the shot is calculated to be 1.60×10⁵ N/m², which is lower than the pressure sometimes encountered in the skeletal system.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the average pressure exerted on the palm of a shot-putter’s hand by the shot, we use the formula for pressure, which is P = F/A, where P is the pressure, F is the force, and A is the area. The force given is 800 N and the area of contact is 50.0 cm² which needs to be converted to square meters (m²) since the SI unit of pressure is the pascal (Pa) and 1 Pa = 1 N/m². Since there are 10,000 cm² in 1 m², the area of contact in meters squared is 50.0 cm² × (1 m²/10,000 cm²) = 0.0050 m².

Now, we calculate the pressure:
P = 800 N / 0.0050 m² = 160,000 N/m² or 1.60×10⁵ N/m².

This pressure is lower than the typical maximum pressure sometimes encountered in the skeletal system (≈ 1.00×10⁶ Pa). Hence, the correct response is option 1, which states that the average pressure exerted is 1.60×10⁵ N/m², which is lower when compared to the pressure in the skeletal system.