Question

Wide concrete sleepers are fixed below a railway track. Why?

Answer 1

1. Pressure is defined as force per unit area. Mathematically, $Pressure=\frac{Force}{Area}$.
2. Thus pressure is inversely proportional to the area of contact.
3. Due to wooden or concrete sleepers below the railway tracks, the weight of the train acts on the greater area of contact.
4. Hence, it reduces pressure appreciably and as a result, the rails do not get depressed.
5. In absence of the sleeper, the weight of the train acts on the ground and the pressure would be so large that the rails may get depressed into the ground.

Hence, wide concrete sleepers are fixed below a railway track.