Explain why, when a person stands on a cushion, the depression is much more than when he lies down on it.

When a person stands on a cushion then only his two feet (having small area) are in contact with the cushion. Due to this the weight of man falls on a small area of the cushion producing a large pressure causing a big depression in the cushion. On the other hand, when the same person lies down on the cushion, then his whole body (having large area) is in contact with the cushion. Here, his weight falls on a much larger area of the cushion producing much smaller pressure and very little depression in the cushion.


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