Question: Assuming that shear stress of base of a mountain is equal to force per unit area to its weight, calc...

Question

Assuming that shear stress of base of a mountain is equal to force per unit area to its weight, calculate the maximum possible height of a mountain on the earth if breaking stress of a typical rock is 3 × 10⁸ Nm^-2 and specific gravity is 3.

Answer 1

Solution

p = $\frac{W}{A}$ = hρg < Breaking stress

or h ≤ $\frac{Breakingstress}{\rho g} = \frac{3 \times 10^{8}}{3 \times 10^{3} \times 10}$ h ≤ 10 km.