Pressure under a narrow heel
A person weighing 600 N balances on one heel with a contact area of 1 cm². What pressure does the heel exert on the floor?
Answer C: explanation for every choice
A
This treats the area as 1 m².
B
This converts 1 cm² to 10⁻² m², converting length instead of area.
C
Correct. 1 cm² = 10⁻⁴ m², so P = F/A = 600/10⁻⁴ = 6 × 10⁶ Pa.
D
This converts 1 cm² to 10⁻⁶ m², the conversion for mm².
TakeawayP = F/A. 1 cm² = 10⁻⁴ m².
Equation usedPressure and Pascal's principle
Next question →Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID cp152.