Weight of air on a piece of paper

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SUMMARY

The weight of air on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper at sea level can be calculated using the atmospheric pressure of 14.7 lb/in². To determine the total weight, one must consider the area of the paper, which is 93.5 in². By multiplying the atmospheric pressure by the area, the total weight of the air on the paper is approximately 1.375 lb. This calculation emphasizes the importance of unit consistency throughout the problem-solving process.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of atmospheric pressure and its units (lb/in²)
  • Basic knowledge of area calculation for rectangular shapes
  • Familiarity with dimensional analysis
  • Ability to perform unit conversions and multiplications
NEXT STEPS
  • Learn about dimensional analysis in physics problems
  • Research the concept of pressure and its applications in fluid mechanics
  • Explore calculations involving force and area in physics
  • Study the effects of altitude on atmospheric pressure
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, educators teaching pressure concepts, and anyone interested in understanding the effects of atmospheric pressure on objects.

ztf24
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Homework Statement

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What is the weight of air on a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper? Assume you're at sea level.

Homework Equations

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None.

The Attempt at a Solution


All I know is atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb/in2 at sea level. I have no idea how to go about calculating this problem.
 
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ztf24 said:
All I know is atmospheric pressure is 14.7 lb/in2 at sea level. I have no idea how to go about calculating this problem.
Did you even consider the units you wrote for pressure? What do they mean?
 
Paying close attention to the dimensions, is often all you need to figure out a likely formula. I keep the units through all calculations when working through a problem. It helps to show up mistakes that could be made (like dividing instead of multiplying, or maybe I forgot to square something). The answer will have the wrong units, then I will know that I need to go back and fix something.
 

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