A woman who has a mass 50kg is wearing high heel shoes. The area of each heel in contact with the floor is 0.45 cm 2. What is the pressure exerted by the woman on the floor if A. she stands on the 2 heels. B. she stands on 1 heel only.

Pressure is defined as the ratio of force per unit area of a body

Pressure = Force/Area

a) Given mass of the woman = 50kg

Force exerted by the woman = 50*9.8

= 490N

Area of each each heel in contact with the floor = 0.45 cm² = 0.45*0.01m*0.01m = 0.000045m²

Pressure exerted by the woman standing on her two heels

= 490/2 (0.000045) {note that the area doubled)

= 5.44*10^6kg/m²

b), Pressure exerted if she stands on one heel only = 490N/0.000045 = 10.89*10^6N/m²