Average Blood Pressure and Force Exerted on the Heart
Calculating the Force Exerted by Blood on the Heart
1. Understanding Pressure:
Blood pressure at the heart, 13,000 Pa, reflects the average force per unit area exerted by the blood against the inner walls of the heart chambers.
2. Converting Pressure to Force:
To determine the actual force on a specific area, pressure is multiplied by the area:
Force (F) = Pressure (P) * Area (A)
3. Calculating Force on 2 cm²:
Given the area of 2 cm² (0.0002 m²):
F = 13,000 Pa * 0.0002 m²
F = 2.6 Newtons
Therefore, the average force exerted by the blood on two square centimeters of the heart is approximately 2.6 Newtons.
4. Important Notes:
This calculation provides an average estimate and does not account for variations in pressure and wall thickness across the heart. Blood pressure can fluctuate due to factors like heart rate and activity.