A force of 50 N is applied uniformly on an area of 0.01 m^2. What is the pressure?

A force of 50 N is applied uniformly on an area of 0.01 m^2. What is the pressure?

• A. 5,000 Pa (5 kPa)
• B. 0.5 Pa
• C. 50,000 Pa
• D. 500 Pa

Answer: (A)

Pressure is the force applied per unit area, P = F/A. With a force of 50 N spread over 0.01 m^2, the pressure is 50 / 0.01 = 5000 N/m^2, i.e., 5,000 Pa (5 kPa). This illustrates how the same force results in larger pressure when the area is smaller and smaller pressure when the area is larger. A patch about 10 cm by 10 cm explains the 0.01 m^2 area in a tangible way.

Pressure is the force applied per unit area, P = F/A. With a force of 50 N spread over 0.01 m^2, the pressure is 50 / 0.01 = 5000 N/m^2, i.e., 5,000 Pa (5 kPa). This illustrates how the same force results in larger pressure when the area is smaller and smaller pressure when the area is larger. A patch about 10 cm by 10 cm explains the 0.01 m^2 area in a tangible way.