If the surface area of a human body is 17,500 square centimeters, what is the total weight of the atmosphere on a human body expressed in pounds?
1 atm = 10.1 Newtons/cm^2
to find that type
1 atm = Newtons/cm^2
into a Google search box
10.1 Newtons/cm^2 * 17.5*10^3 cm^2
= 177,000 Newtons
use the Google search box again:
177000 newtons = pounds
and you will get back
39,791 pounds
To find the total weight of the atmosphere on a human body, we need to determine the average atmospheric pressure and use it to calculate the force exerted by the atmosphere on the body. Here's how to do it:
1. Determine the average atmospheric pressure:
The average atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch (psi), which is equivalent to 1033.23 grams per square centimeter (g/cm²) or 1.03323 kilograms per square centimeter (kg/cm²). Since the surface area is given in square centimeters, we'll use the metric unit (kg/cm²) for consistency.
2. Calculate the force exerted by the atmosphere:
The force exerted by the atmosphere on a surface can be calculated using the formula:
Force = Pressure * Area
To convert the given surface area from square centimeters to square meters, we divide by 10,000:
Area in square meters = 17,500 cm² / 10,000 = 1.75 m²
Now, we can calculate the force:
Force = 1.758 kg/cm² * 1.75 m² = 3.0725 kg
3. Convert the force to pounds:
1 kilogram is approximately equal to 2.20462 pounds.
Weight in pounds = 3.0725 kg * 2.20462 = 6.77 pounds (rounded to two decimal places)
Therefore, the total weight of the atmosphere on a human body with a surface area of 17,500 square centimeters is approximately 6.77 pounds.