The door and the seals on an aircraft are subject to a tremendous amount of force during flight. At an altitude of 10,000 m (about 33,000 ft), the air pressure outside the airplane is only 2.7 x 104 N/m2, while the inside is still at normal atmospheric pressure, due to pressurization of the cabin. Calculate the net force due to the air pressure on a door of area 3.6 m2
force = change of pressure/area
= 25000 N
The change in pressure across the door is (1.0*10^5 - 2.7*10^4) = 7.3*10^4 N/m^2
Multiply (not divide) that by 3.6 m^2, the door area.
I get a somewhat different answer.
To calculate the net force due to the air pressure on a door, we can use the formula:
Net force = Pressure difference x Area
First, we need to find the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the airplane.
Step 1: Convert the given value of the outside pressure from Pascals to Newtons per square meter (N/m^2).
Outside air pressure = 2.7 x 10^4 N/m^2
Step 2: Find the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.
Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is approximately 1.013 x 10^5 N/m^2.
Step 3: Calculate the pressure difference.
Pressure difference = Outside air pressure - Inside air pressure
Since the inside is still at normal atmospheric pressure:
Inside air pressure = Standard atmospheric pressure = 1.013 x 10^5 N/m^2
Pressure difference = 2.7 x 10^4 N/m^2 - 1.013 x 10^5 N/m^2
Now, we can calculate the net force:
Net force = Pressure difference x Area
Net force = (2.7 x 10^4 N/m^2 - 1.013 x 10^5 N/m^2) x 3.6 m^2
Simplifying the calculation:
Net force = (−7.43 x 10^4 N/m^2) x 3.6 m^2
Net force = -2.67 x 10^5 N (negative sign indicates the direction of the force)
Therefore, the net force due to the air pressure on the door is approximately -2.67 x 10^5 Newtons.