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Questions on Pressure

Q4. Explain in terms of pressure why you should always wear a crash helmet when riding a motor bike.

Pressure is what damages an object. We think of damage being caused by force - but it is how that force is applied that makes the difference between damage being done or not!

If you fall off your bike and hit your head on the curbstone the area of contact on impact is small and as 'pressure = force/area' there is therefore big pressure on your skull at that point and it can cause a fracture.

If you are wearing a helmet the impact force is spread over the contact area of the helmet with your head - not concentrated in a small area..

The helmet itself gets high pressure at the point of impact but your head gets 'hit' by the helmet and that blow is spread over the whole head producing less pressure at any one point on the skull

 

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