What pressure is exerted on your head?

(1) 48

Explanation

To find the pressure exerted on your head, we need to calculate the force per unit area, where:

$\text{Pressure} = \frac{\text{Force}}{\text{Area}}$

Calculate the force

The weight of the books exerts a force due to gravity which we have as 3 lb.  Since weight already accounts for gravity, we use this as our force.

Force = 3 lb

Calculate the area

The wooden cube is \(\frac14\) inch on each side, so its face area (the part in contact with your head) is:

$\text{Area} = \text{side}^2 = \left( \frac14 \text{ inch} \right)^2 = \frac{1}{16} \text{ in}^2$

Calculate the pressure

Substitute the values into the pressure formula:

$\text{Pressure} = \frac{\text{Force}}{\text{Area}} = \frac{3 \text{ lb}}{\frac{1}{16} \text{ in}^2} = 3 \cdot 16 = 48 \text{ lb/in}^2$

So, the pressure exerted on your head is 48 lb/in²