High School

Select the best answer for the question.

If a total force exerted by water in a container with a bottom area of 2 square meters is 450 newtons, what's the water pressure at the bottom of the container?

A. 0.300 kPa
B. 0.225 kPa
C. 0.575 kPa
D. 0.900 kPa

Answer :

To solve this problem and find the water pressure at the bottom of the container, we can follow these steps:

1. Understand the formula for pressure: Pressure is defined as the force exerted per unit area. Mathematically, it's expressed as:
[tex]\[
\text{Pressure} = \frac{\text{Force}}{\text{Area}}
\][/tex]
where the pressure is in pascals (Pa), force is in newtons (N), and area is in square meters (m²).

2. Substitute the values given: Here, the total force exerted by the water is 450 newtons, and the bottom area of the container is 2 square meters. So, the pressure is calculated as follows:
[tex]\[
\text{Pressure} = \frac{450 \, \text{N}}{2 \, \text{m}^2} = 225 \, \text{Pa}
\][/tex]

3. Convert the pressure from pascals to kilopascals: Since 1 kilopascal (kPa) is equal to 1000 pascals, we can convert the pressure:
[tex]\[
\text{Pressure in kPa} = 225 \, \text{Pa} \times 0.001 = 0.225 \, \text{kPa}
\][/tex]

4. Select the correct answer from the options: From the given choices, the pressure of 0.225 kPa matches option B.

Therefore, the water pressure at the bottom of the container is 0.225 kPa. The best answer is B. 0.225 kPa.