If I let air out of my tires to increase surface area on sand; wont that just reduce the pressure on the sand too? Is traction NOT a function of both pressure and surface area? Physics

Question

If I let air out of my tires to increase surface area on sand; wont that just reduce the pressure on the sand too? Is traction NOT a function of both pressure and surface area? Physics

In: Physics

Answer 1

The pressure in your tires is irrelevant apart from the surface area change. Just because there is less pressure in your tires doesn’t mean your car weighs any less or imparts any less force on the sand.