Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 12: Problem 84

The blades of ice skates are quite thin, so the pressure exerted on ice by a skater can be substantial. Explain how this fact helps a person to skate on ice.

Short Answer

Expert verified
In skating, the thin blades of the skates exert a substantial amount of pressure on the ice due to the skater's weight being concentrated over a relatively small area. This pressure can cause the ice to transform into a thin layer of water, which reduces friction and enables smooth and easy gliding over the ice, thus helping a person to skate.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the concept of Pressure

First, it's important to understand the concept of pressure. Pressure can be calculated by dividing force by the area over which the force is spread. It's expressed in the formula: pressure \(= \frac{force}{area}\). So, the smaller the area over which the force is spread, the greater the pressure.
02

Apply the concept to ice-skating

Now apply this principle to ice-skating. When a person is standing still on ice skates, the force of their body weight is spread out over the area of the two blades in contact with the ice. As the blades are very thin, this area is quite small which means the pressure exerted on the ice is quite large.
03

Discuss the effect on the ice

When the pressure exerted on the ice exceeds its yield pressure, the ice melts creating a thin slice of water which decreases the friction between the ice blade and the ice. This allows the blade to glide smoothly over the surface, thus enabling the person to skate with ease.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Explain why liquids, unlike gases, are virtually incompressible

A beaker of water is heated to boiling by a Bunsen burner. Would adding another burner raise the boiling point of water? Explain.

Diethyl ether has a boiling point of \(34.5^{\circ} \mathrm{C},\) and I-butanol has a boiling point of \(117^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) Both of these compounds have the same numbers and types of atoms. Explain the difference in their boiling points.

A pressure cooker is a sealed container that allows steam to escape when it exceeds a predetermined pressure. How does this device reduce the time needed for cooking?

A length of wire is placed on top of a block of ice. The ends of the wire extend over the edges of the ice, and a heavy weight is attached to each end. It is found that the ice under the wire gradually melts, so that the wire slowly moves through the ice block. At the same time, the water above the wire refreezes. Explain the phase changes that accompany this phenomenon.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation

Physical Chemistry

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free