A 10kg cube of iron with length 5cm is resting on a table surface. Assuming the acceleration under gravity of the block is 9.81ms^(-2), what is the pressure on the table?

Pressure is given by P=F/A, where F is force and A is area. Neither are given in the question, but A is the area of the cube in contact with the table; this is the area of one face of the cube, so A=LL=0.050.05=0.0025 m2 (Side Note - Remember to convert to meters!).

Now we have A, we need F - this is given by F=ma, which is F=10*9.81=98.1 N.

Finally, P=F/A=98.1 N/0.0025 m2= 39240 Pa. (Side Note - 1 Pa=1 N/1 m2)

WH

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What happens to the pressure inside a sealed canister of gaseous oxygen when it is transferred from a cool environment to a warmer environment?


Describe the process of the big bang


Why is the nuclear model better than the plum pudding model of the atom?


What's the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions ?