Answer:
[tex]5.22\cdot 10^5 Pa[/tex]
Step-by-step explanation:
The pressure exerted by an object is given by:
[tex]p=\frac{F}{A}[/tex]
where
F is the magnitude of the force
A is the area of the surface perpendicular to the force
In this problem, the force is the weight of the books + the shelf, which is given by
[tex]F=mg[/tex]
where
m = 262 kg is the total mass
[tex]g=9.8 m/s^2[/tex] is the acceleration of gravity
Substituting,
[tex]F=(262)(9.8)=2568 N[/tex]
The area of the four legs is:
[tex]A=4(3.0 cm\cdot 4.1 cm)=4(12.3 cm^2)=49.2 cm^2 = 49.2\cdot 10^{-4} m^2[/tex]
Therefore, the pressure exerted on them is:
[tex]p=\frac{F}{A}=\frac{2568}{49.2\cdot 10^{-4}}=5.22\cdot 10^5 Pa[/tex]
