The weight of a 1000 kg car is supported equally by four tires, which are inflated to the same gauge pressure. What gauge pressure is required so the area of contact of each tire with the road is 90 cm²?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total weight of the car is supported equally by four tires, so each tire supports 1/4th of the total weight. The weight of the car is 1000 kg, which is equivalent to a force due to gravity of 1000 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 9800 N. Each tire supports 9800 N / 4 = 2450 N. The area of contact per tire is 90 cm^2, which is 0.009 m^2. Pressure is force divided by area, so the required gauge pressure is 2450 N / 0.009 m^2 = 272,222 Pa or 272 kPa.

The Weight of a 1000 Kg Car Is Supported Equally