Question

At sea level, the atmosphere exerts a pressure of 450 pounds on a surface with an area of 30 square inches. How much pressure per square inch does the atmosphere exert on surfaces at sea level?

Answer 1

`15p si`

Explanation:

We can use the equation

`p = F_(⊥)/A`

where `p` is the pressure at the surface,
`F_(⊥)` is the force perpendicular to the surface (commonly in newtons), and
`A` is the area the force is acting upon, commonly is units of square meters.

We're given the force (which is in pounds), and the area (in square inches), so the pressure is

`p = (450lb)/(30i n^2) = color(blue)(15p si`