The weight of a skier is 60 kg. What pressure does he exert on the snow if the length
The weight of a skier is 60 kg. What pressure does he exert on the snow if the length of each ski is 1.5 m and the width is 10 cm.
Given:
m = 60 kilograms – the mass of the skier;
l = 1.5 meters – the length of each ski;
x = 10 centimeters = 0.1 meter – the width of each ski;
n = 2 – number of skis.
It is required to determine P (Pascal) – how much pressure the skier produces on the snow.
Find the area of the bearing surface of one ski:
s = l * x = 1.5 * 0.1 = 0.15 m2.
Then the total area will be equal to:
S = s * n = 0.15 * 2 = 0.3 m2.
The force of gravity acting on the skier will be equal to:
F = m * g (where g = 10 Newton / kilogram, approximate value);
F = 60 * 10 = 600 Newtons.
Then the pressure will be equal to:
P = F / S = 600 / 0.3 = 2000 Pascal (2 kPa).
Answer: The pressure exerted by the skier on the snow will be 2000 Pascal (2 kPa).