Classwork #3 – Pressure

Name: __________________________________________ Date: ______________

1. A football player is tackled by another player and lands with the combined weight of
both players on his knee. If the combined weight of the players is 2400 N and the
player’s knee measures 0.1 m by 0.1 m, how much pressure is exerted on the turf
when the player lands on his knee?

2. Ahmed is learning about pressure. He pushes a pin on the surface of balloon. The
balloon bursts (pops). Ahmed repeats the investigation with an identical balloon. He
does not use a pin. He pushes a blunt pencil with the same force. The balloon does not
burst. Explain why the balloon does not burst.

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3. Which of the following formulas correctly shows the relationship between an applied
force, the pressure that the force produces, and the area on which the force acts?
a) P = FA b) p = F/A c) p = 1/FA d) p = A/F e) p = F/A²

4. A pressure of 20 Pa is applied by an 8,000 N force to a square area. What is the length

of a side of the square?

5. An empty water tank has a rectangular base with side lengths of 1.2 m and 2.3 m. The
weight of the tank applies a pressure of 350 Pa to the surface it is resting on. What is
the weight of the tank?

6. The bases of a man’s feet have a total area in contact with the ground of 0.025 m2. The
man’s weight is 800 N. How much is the pressure applied by his feet to the ground in
kilopascals?
Homework #3 – Pressure

1. A press is used to crack rocks, applying a pressure of 750 kPa to a rock with a mass of
6.2 kg, as shown in the diagram. The rock being crushed has a very uneven surface.
The surface area in contact with the plates of the press is 20 cm2.
a) What is the average force applied to the rock by the press?

b) How many times heavier would the rock being crushed need to
be for it to apply the same weight to the ground as the average
force applied by the press? Round your answer to one decimal
place.

2. A dancer with a mass of 50 kg is standing on the tips of the toes of one of her feet. She
exerts a pressure of 490 kPa on the tips. What is the area, in square centimeters, of
the part of the foot on which she stands?

3. A sofa with a mass of 125 kg has a base with an area of 2.5 m2. What pressure does the
sofa apply to the ground beneath it?

4. A pressure of 400 Pa is applied to an area of 2.5 m2. What force applies this pressure?

5. Do you exert more pressure on the ground when you sit or when you lie down on it?
Explain your answer.

6. A pressure of 75 Pa is applied by a 3,000 N force. What area is the force applied to?