Air within the funnel of a large tornado may have a pressure of only 0.2 ATM. What is the approximate outward force on a (5 m * 10 m) wall if a tornado suddenly envelops the house? (1 ATM = 1.01*105 N/m².) A)4 * 103 N B)4 * 104 N C)4 * 105 N D)4 * 106 N E)7*105 N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

First, convert the pressure from 0.2 ATM to 0.202 ATM (adding the atmospheric pressure of 1 ATM).

Next, calculate the force on the wall using the formula:

Force = Pressure x Area

Area = (5 m) x (10 m) = 50 m^2

Force = (0.202 ATM) x (1.01 x 10^5 N/m^2/ATM) x (50 m^2)

So, Force = 1.02 x 10^7 N = 10.2 MN

But the question asks for the approximate force, and the answer choices are in scientific notation, so we need to round to the nearest power of 10.

The closest answer choice is 4 x 10^6 N, which is approximately half of our calculated force. So, the best choice is D, 4 x 10^6 N.

Air Within the Funnel of a Large Tornado May Have