When at cruising altitude, a typical airplane cabin will have an air pressure equivalent to an altitude of about 2510 m. During the flight, ears often equilibrate, so that the air pressure inside the inner ear equalizes with the air pressure outside the plane. The Eustachian tubes allow for this equalization, but can become clogged. If an Eustachian tube is clogged, pressure equalization may not occur on descent and the air pressure inside an inner ear may remain equal to the pressure at 2510 m. In that case, by the time the plane lands and the cabin is repressurized to sea-level air pressure, what is the net force on one ear drum due to this pressure difference, assuming the ear drum has an area of 0.48 cm2?
N