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Ch.10 - Gases
Chapter 10, Problem 15c

Suppose that a woman weighing 130 lb and wearing high-heeled shoes momentarily places all her weight on the heel of one foot. If the area of the heel is 0.50 in.2, calculate the pressure exerted on the underlying surface in c. atmospheres.

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Convert the weight of the woman from pounds to newtons. Use the conversion factor: 1 lb = 4.44822 N.
Calculate the force exerted by the woman on the heel using her weight in newtons.
Determine the pressure exerted by dividing the force by the area of the heel. Use the formula: Pressure = Force / Area.
Convert the area from square inches to square meters. Use the conversion factor: 1 in² = 0.00064516 m².
Convert the pressure from pascals to atmospheres. Use the conversion factor: 1 atm = 101325 Pa.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Pressure

Pressure is defined as the force applied per unit area. It is calculated using the formula P = F/A, where P is pressure, F is the force (in this case, the weight of the woman), and A is the area over which the force is distributed. Pressure is typically measured in units such as pascals (Pa) or atmospheres (atm).
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Unit Conversion

Unit conversion is the process of converting a quantity expressed in one set of units to another. In this problem, the weight of the woman is given in pounds, and the area of her heel is in square inches. To calculate pressure in atmospheres, it is necessary to convert these units to a compatible system, such as converting pounds to newtons and square inches to square meters.
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Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the atmosphere above a given point. At sea level, standard atmospheric pressure is defined as 1 atm, which is equivalent to 101,325 pascals. Understanding this concept is crucial for interpreting the calculated pressure in relation to standard atmospheric conditions.
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