Chapter 8, Problem 1TE

Stand on a bathroom scale and read your weight. When you lift one foot up so that you are standing on one foot, does the reading change? Does a scale read force on pressure?

To determine

The change in the reading and whether the scale reads force or pressure.

Answer to Problem 1TE

The reading of the scale does not change and the scale reads the force, not the pressure.

Explanation of Solution

The weight of any object is same as the force by which the earth pulls the object towards the surface. It depends on the elevation of the object. The gravitational acceleration remains constant on the surface of the earth, so the weight of the object also remains constant.

One foot is very less height, so the reading of the scale does not change. The pressure on the object varies with the variation in the height of the object, so the pressure also varies. The reading of the scale does not change, so the scale cannot read the pressure.

Conclusion:

Therefore, the reading of the scale does not change and the scale reads the force, not the pressure.