Consider a 55kg woman who has a total foot imprint area of 4

Consider a 55-kg woman who has a total foot imprint area of 400 cm^2. She wishes to walk on the snow, but the snow cannot withstand pressure greater than 0.5 kPa. Determine the minimum size of the snowshoes needed (imprint area per shoe) to enable her to walk on the snow without sinking.

Solution

pressure acting on foot = F/A

= (mg)/A

= (55*9.81)/0.4

= 539.55/0.4

= 1348.875 N/m²= 1.348 KN/m²

BUT PRESSURE cannot greater than the 0.5 KN/m²

F/A = 500N/m²

55*9.81 = 500* A

539.55/500 = A

A = 1.079 m²

area of shoe must = 1.079 m²