Pressure and Density: Force Increase on Eardrum in 10-Story Building

[w11205]

Homework Statement

Your ear is a very sensitive pressure gauge. When you take a quick ride in a elevator
going up or down in a building you notice a sensation in your ears when you travel only a
few floors. A stronger effect is present in the rapid ascent or descent of an airplane - your
ears notice. Assume that the area of your eardrum is 1.3 cm2. If you can just notice that
funny feeling in your ears when you take a quick elevator ride from the top to the bottom
of a ten-story building, what force increase are you able to notice on the eardrum?
Convert you answer to pounds. Take each story of the building to be 14 feet high and
presume the density of air is constant at D = 1.29 kg/m3.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[alphysicist]

Hi w11205,

Homework Statement

Your ear is a very sensitive pressure gauge. When you take a quick ride in a elevator
going up or down in a building you notice a sensation in your ears when you travel only a
few floors. A stronger effect is present in the rapid ascent or descent of an airplane - your
ears notice. Assume that the area of your eardrum is 1.3 cm2. If you can just notice that
funny feeling in your ears when you take a quick elevator ride from the top to the bottom
of a ten-story building, what force increase are you able to notice on the eardrum?
Convert you answer to pounds. Take each story of the building to be 14 feet high and
presume the density of air is constant at D = 1.29 kg/m3.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

What have you tried so far?