Question

The tires on my bike say they should be inflated to 60 psi. a) How much is this in atmospheres (atm)? (show work!) b) How much force is this (in newtons) per each square centimeter of bike tire?

Answer 1

Given,

P =60 psi

PSI stands for Pound per square foot, we have to convert it to atm

1 PSI = 0.068 atm

60 PSI = 60 x 0.068046 = 4.08276 atm

Hence, 60 psi = 4.08276 atm (= 4.083 atm)

b)P = F/A

F = P x A

1 psi = 6894.76 Pa => 60 psi = 413685 Pa

A = 1 cm^2 = 10^-4 m^2

F = 413685.6 x 10^-4 = 41.36856 N

Hence, F = 41.36856 N ( = 41.37 N)