Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the pressure exerted on the floor, we need to use the formula:
pressure = force / area
where force is the weight of the elephant and area is the area of the foot in contact with the floor.
First, we need to convert the weight of the elephant from pounds to pounds-force (lbf), which is the force exerted by a mass due to gravity. We can do this by multiplying the weight in pounds by the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 32.2 ft/s²:
force = weight x acceleration due to gravity
= 6000 lb x 32.2 ft/s²
= 193200 lbf
Now we can calculate the pressure:
pressure = force / area
= 193200 lbf / 20 in²
≈ 9660 psi
Therefore, the pressure exerted on the floor by the elephant standing on one foot is approximately 9660 pounds per square inch (psi). This is a very high pressure and could cause damage to some types of flooring.