Pressure=force/area - cannot arrive at correct answer?

[teggenspiller]

pressure=force/area -- cannot arrive at correct answer!?

Homework Statement

A person of weight of 900 N is standing on snowshoes. Each snowshoe has area 2500 cm2. Find the pressure on the snow.

A. 0.18 Pa
B. 0.36 Pa
C. 1800 Pa
D. 3600 Pa


Wrong Points Earned: 0/1
Correct Answer: C
Your B

Homework Equations

P=F/a

The Attempt at a Solution

P= 900N/25m^2

and i keep getting 36. how do i get to 1800??

i understand there are 2 snow shoes, how is that relevant to finding the area? and why am i 100 off?

 

[teggenspiller]

1 cm = .01 m

so 2500cm^2 = 25 m^2

what am i doing wrong>

 

[whoareyou]

2500 (cm^2) = 0.25 m^2

 

[teggenspiller]

well duhh, teggenspiller. thank you SO very much for clearing that up!

 

[rwisz]

As a scientist, it is important to carefully analyze the given information and equations to arrive at the correct answer. In this case, the equation for pressure, P=F/A, is correct. The person's weight of 900 N is the force (F) and the area of each snowshoe is 2500 cm2 or 0.25 m2. However, the question is asking for the pressure on the snow, not on each individual snowshoe. Therefore, the total area is 2(0.25 m2) = 0.5 m2. Plugging this into the equation, we get P= 900 N/0.5 m2 = 1800 Pa. It is important to pay attention to the given information and carefully interpret the question to arrive at the correct answer.