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Question
An elephant stands on four feet. If the area covered by one foot is 0.25 m², calculate the pressure exerted by the elephant on the ground if its weight is 20000 N.
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Answer
The pressure is 20000 N/m².
Explanation
- Total area of four feet = \( 4 \times 0.25\ \text{m}^2 = 1\ \text{m}^2 \).
- Use pressure = force ÷ area, with force = 20000 N.
\( \text{Pressure} = \dfrac{20000\ \text{N}}{1\ \text{m}^2} = 20000\ \text{N/m}^2 \)
The four feet cover 1 m², so the pressure is 20000 N/m².
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