Atmospheric pressure is about 1.0 ×10^5 Pa. How large a...

Atmospheric pressure is about $1.0 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{~Pa}$. How large a force does the still air in a room exert on the inside of a window pane that is $40 \mathrm{~cm} \times 80 \mathrm{~cm}$ ? The atmosphere exerts a force normal to any surface placed in it. Consequently, the force on the window pane is perpendicular to the pane and is given by $$F=P A=\left(1.0 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{m}^{2}\right)\left(0.40 \times 0.80 \mathrm{~m}^{2}\right)=3.2 \times 10^{4} \mathrm{~N}$$ Of course, a nearly equal force due to the atmosphere on the outside keeps the window from breaking.

Atmospheric pressure is about $1.0 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{~Pa}$. How large a force does the still air in a room exert on the inside of a window pane that is $40 \mathrm{~cm} \times 80 \mathrm{~cm}$ ?
The atmosphere exerts a force normal to any surface placed in it. Consequently, the force on the window pane is perpendicular to the pane and is given by
$$F=P A=\left(1.0 \times 10^{5} \mathrm{~N} / \mathrm{m}^{2}\right)\left(0.40 \times 0.80 \mathrm{~m}^{2}\right)=3.2 \times 10^{4} \mathrm{~N}$$
Of course, a nearly equal force due to the atmosphere on the outside keeps the window from breaking.

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Key Concepts

Atmospheric Pressure

Atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of the Earth's atmosphere on objects. It is a critical concept in understanding environmental forces and is uniformly applied in many practical contexts, such as predicting the forces acting on structures like windows.

Area Calculation

Area calculation involves determining the size of a surface, generally by multiplying its length by its width. Accurate conversion of units (e.g., from centimeters to meters) is essential to correctly compute areas in standard SI units.

Pressure

Pressure is defined as the force applied per unit area and is commonly measured in Pascals (Pa). It is a fundamental concept in physics, especially in fluid mechanics, as it explains how forces distribute over surfaces.

Force

Force is a vector quantity that results from the interaction of pressure and area. It is calculated by multiplying the pressure by the area over which it is applied, demonstrating how distributed pressures can generate significant overall forces.

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