Question

Joe the house painter stands on a uniform oak board weighing 600 N and held up by vertical ropes at each end. Joe has been dieting, and now weighs 844 N. The length of the board is 4.00 m, and Joe is standing 1.00 m from the left end of the board. What is the tension in each of the supporting ropes?

Answer 1

given,

weight of the oak board = 600 N

Weight of Joe = 844 N

length of board = 4 m

Joe is standing at 1 m from left side

vertical wire is supporting at the end.

Assuming the system is in equilibrium

T₁ and T₂ be the tension at the ends of the wire

equating all the vertical force

T₁ + T₂ = 600 + 844

T₁ + T₂ = 1444...........(1)

taking moment about T₂

T₁ x 4 - 844 x 3 - 600 x 2 = 0

T₁ x 4 = 3732

T₁ = 933 N

from equation (1)

T₂ = 1444 - 933

T₂ = 511 N