Question

Anvils made of single crystals of diamond, with the shape as shown in Fig. 9.14, are used to investigate behaviour of materials under very high pressures. Flat faces at the narrow end of the anvil have a diameter of 0.50 mm, and the wide ends are subjected to a compressional force of 50,000 N. What is the pressure at the tip of the anvil

Answer 1

Given, the diameter of the anvil is 0.50 mm and the compressive force acting on the anvil is 50000 N.

The pressure at the tip of the anvil is given by the equation,

P= F A = 4F π d 2

Substituting the values in the above equation, we get:

P= 4×50000 N π ( 0.5× 10 −3  m ) 2 =2.5× 10 11  Pa

Hence, the pressure at the end of the tip is 2.5× 10 11  Pa.