Stress Calculation of a Cube-shaped Boulder

What is the stress exerted by a cube-shaped boulder on the surface it is resting on?

The cube-shaped boulder has a mass of 50.0 kg and a height of 1.50 m. Calculate the stress in N/m^2.

Answer:

The stress exerted by the cube-shaped boulder on the surface it is resting on is approximately 36 N/m^2.

To calculate the stress exerted by the cube-shaped boulder, we need to divide the force it exerts on the surface by the area of the surface.

First, let's calculate the force exerted by the boulder. We can use the formula F = mg, where m is the mass of the boulder and g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2).

F = (50.0 kg) * (9.8 m/s^2)

F = 490 N

Next, we need to calculate the area of the surface on which the boulder is resting. Since it is a cube, the length, width, and height are all equal to 1.50 m. The formula for the surface area of a cube is A = 6s^2, where s is the length of one side.

A = 6 * (1.50 m)^2

A = 6 * 2.25 m^2

A = 13.5 m^2

Now, we can calculate the stress by dividing the force by the area.

Stress = F / A

Stress = 490 N / 13.5 m^2

Stress ≈ 36.2963 N/m^2

Rounding to the nearest whole number, the stress is approximately 36 N/m^2. Therefore, the correct answer is 36 N.