Force Calculation in a Gas-Filled Cylinder
Understanding Force Calculation in a Gas-Filled Cylinder
Force is defined as the interaction that, when unopposed, will change the motion of an object. In the case of a gas-filled cylinder, the force on the piston can be calculated based on the pressure in the gas and the area of the piston.
Calculating the Area of the Piston
The formula to calculate the area of a piston is A = πr², where r is the radius of the piston. In this scenario, the width of the cylinder is given as 7.2 cm, so the radius is half of that, which is 3.6 cm. By substituting this value into the formula, the area of the piston is calculated to be 40.69 cm².
Determining the Force on the Piston
Once the area of the piston is known, the force on the piston can be calculated using the formula F = P × A, where P is the pressure in the gas. By substituting the given pressure of 617 kPa and the calculated area of 40.69 cm² into the formula, the force on the piston is determined to be 25.15 kN.
Therefore, based on the given data, the force on the piston in the gas-filled cylinder is 25.15 kilonewtons.