A 72.5 kg skier is going straight down a 31.1o slope. Each ski has a contact area with the snow of 0.137 m2. Calculate the pressure that the snow exerts on each ski.
To calculate the pressure that the snow exerts on each ski, we need to use the formula for pressure:
Pressure = Force / Area
In this case, the force that the snow exerts on each ski is equal to the weight of the skier. We can calculate the weight using the formula:
Weight = Mass * Gravity
Given that the mass of the skier is 72.5 kg, and the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, we can calculate the weight:
Weight = 72.5 kg * 9.8 m/s^2
Next, we need to calculate the area of each ski. The problem states that each ski has a contact area with the snow of 0.137 m^2.
Now, we can substitute the values into the formula for pressure:
Pressure = (Weight) / (Area)
Substituting the values into the formula, we get:
Pressure = (72.5 kg * 9.8 m/s^2) / (0.137 m^2)
Calculating this expression will give us the pressure that the snow exerts on each ski.