The total area of contact between the tires of a racing bicycle and the road is 1.5 square inches. The bicycle and its rider weigh 171 pounds. What is the air pressure inside its tires?
To find the air pressure inside the tires of the racing bicycle, you need to use the concept of pressure, which is defined as the force applied per unit area. In this case, the force is the weight of the bicycle and its rider.
To calculate the air pressure, you need to use the formula:
Pressure = Force / Area
First, convert the weight from pounds to Newtons. Since 1 pound is approximately equal to 4.448 Newtons, the weight of the bicycle and its rider equals:
Force = 171 pounds * 4.448 Newtons/pound
Next, substitute the values into the pressure formula:
Pressure = Force / Area
Pressure = (171 pounds * 4.448 Newtons/pound) / 1.5 square inches
Before calculating the pressure, you need to convert the area from square inches to square meters. There are approximately 0.00064516 square meters in 1 square inch, so the area of the contact is:
Area = 1.5 square inches * 0.00064516 square meters/square inch
Now you have both the force and the area in the correct units, so you can calculate the pressure:
Pressure = (171 pounds * 4.448 Newtons/pound) / (1.5 square inches * 0.00064516 square meters/square inch)
After performing the calculation, you will have the air pressure inside the bicycle's tires in units of Newtons per square meter (also known as Pascals). If you prefer a different unit of pressure, such as pounds per square inch (psi), you can convert the result.