Ask a Shark Expert
Read shark researcher Mark Marks' responses on the following shark topics:
Disappearing sharks
Shark evolution
Shark deterrent?
Nonstop swimmers?
Shark posturing
Swimming with the sharks?
Shark diving
Shark education
Shark enemies
Shark reproduction
Great white disposition
Favorite shark
Shark eyes
Shark companions
Bite pressure
Bladderless sharks
Warmblooded killers
Hammerheads
Thresher sharks
Great whites in captivity
Shark protection
Q: On Bite Pressure Could you estimate, to the best of your ability, the bite pressure of a great white shark? How would you test this?
A: The force or pressure of a shark's bite can be measured using a device called a "gnathodynamometer," or simply a "shark-bite meter." Without getting bogged down in a lengthy description of how the unit physically works, the goal is to record the biting pressure in pounds per square inch; this is accomplished by getting the shark to bite down on the meter while it's embedded in some type of bait. For example, during one bite test the highest force applied by a single tooth was 60 kilograms (132 pounds). Since it was estimated that the 60 kilograms were applied over an area of 2 square millimeters, this means a loading of 30 kilograms per square millimeter. This equates to a force of 3 metric tons (6,000 pounds) per square centimeter! In practice, the tooth would shatter before actually reaching this pressure. There is no question sharks can do severe damage if they apply the full pressure of their bite, which is often not the case.
