Question

The bridge will break if the material it is made of exceeds a pressure of 500N/m. An elephant stands on the bridge. It has a mass of 500kg and the area of all its feet is 4m.

Does the bridge break

Answer 1

Answer: The bridge will break.

Explanation: The formula for pressure is p = F/A; where p is pressure, F is force, and A is area. The pressure exerted by the elephant would thus be mg/4 = (500)(9.81)/4 = 1226.25 N/m^2. 1226.25 > 500 so the bridge will break.