Math Problem Statement

As a woman walks, her entire weight is momentarily placed on one heel of her high-heeled shoes. Calculate the pressure exerted on the floor by the heel if it has an area of 1.59 cm2 and the woman's mass is 67.0 kg. Express the pressure in pascals.

Solution

To calculate the pressure exerted on the floor, we use the formula for pressure:

P=FAP = \frac{F}{A}

Where:

  • PP is the pressure (in pascals, PaPa).
  • FF is the force exerted (in newtons, NN).
  • AA is the area (in square meters, m2m^2).

Step 1: Convert mass to force

The force exerted is the weight of the woman, which is calculated as:

F=mgF = m \cdot g

Where:

  • m=67.0kgm = 67.0 \, \text{kg} (mass of the woman).
  • g=9.81m/s2g = 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 (acceleration due to gravity).

F=67.09.81=656.67NF = 67.0 \cdot 9.81 = 656.67 \, \text{N}

Step 2: Convert area to square meters

The area of the heel is given as 1.59cm21.59 \, \text{cm}^2. Convert this to square meters:

1cm2=1104m21 \, \text{cm}^2 = 1 \cdot 10^{-4} \, \text{m}^2

A=1.59104m2A = 1.59 \cdot 10^{-4} \, \text{m}^2

Step 3: Calculate pressure

Substitute FF and AA into the pressure formula:

P=656.671.59104P = \frac{656.67}{1.59 \cdot 10^{-4}}

P=4,129,559.75PaP = 4,129,559.75 \, \text{Pa}

Final Answer:

The pressure exerted on the floor is approximately:

P=4.13MPa(megapascals)P = 4.13 \, \text{MPa} \, (\text{megapascals})


Questions for further exploration:

  1. How would the pressure change if the heel's area were halved?
  2. What happens to the pressure if the woman's weight increases by 10%?
  3. How does the pressure compare to the typical pressure exerted by a car tire on the ground?
  4. What role does the material of the heel play in distributing the pressure?
  5. How would the calculation differ if the heel's area was irregular?

Tip:

Always ensure unit conversions are consistent when working with physical quantities to avoid calculation errors.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Pressure
Force and Area Relationship
Unit Conversion

Formulas

P = F / A
F = m * g
1 cm² = 1 * 10^-4 m²

Theorems

Newton's Second Law of Motion

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12