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9 grade science

Explain why snow shoes stop you from sinking into soft snow.

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

Snowshoes prevent you from sinking into soft snow by distributing your weight over a larger surface area. When you walk on snow without snowshoes, your body’s weight is concentrated on the small area of your feet, which causes you to sink because the snow cannot support the pressure.

Snowshoes have a large, flat surface that spreads your weight over a greater area. This reduces the pressure on the snow, preventing it from compressing too much and causing you to sink. Essentially, snowshoes create enough surface area to keep you on top of the snow instead of sinking into it. The design of the snowshoe, typically with a wide frame and often a mesh or webbing surface, allows it to float on top of the snow, distributing your weight more evenly.