Question

During forced exhalation, the diaphragm and chest muscles create a pressure of 60.0 mm Hg between the lungs and chest wall. What force in newtons does this pressure create on the 600 cm^2 surface area of the diaphragm?

a) 360 N
b) 36 N
c) 600 N
d) 10 N

Answer 1

The force created by the pressure on the diaphragm is 480 N.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the force created by the pressure, we can use the formula: Force = Pressure x Area. The pressure is given as 60.0 mm Hg, which is the same as 8000 Pa (since 1 mm Hg = 133.32 Pa). The area of the diaphragm is given as 600 cm², which is the same as 0.06 m² (since 1 cm² = 0.0001 m²).

Therefore, we can substitute the values into the formula: Force = 8000 Pa x 0.06 m² = 480 N.

So, the force created by the pressure on the 600 cm² surface area of the diaphragm is 480 N.