Solving for Ra & Rb on a Beam: Step-by-Step Guide

[kyle_soule]

I need help with this problem:

You have a beam and this is the information I have and I need to find the reaction [ascii art is hard]

50 kip
|
V
----------------------------
| | | | | | | | | |
V V V V V V V V V V
---------------------------- <---- 4 kips/ft
^ (-)
/_\ (_) <---that is a circle
|----10 ft---|
|------------20-------------|

^Ra ^Rb

I need to solve for Ra and Rb, it would be very much appreciated if someone could walk me through the steps also.

Thanks!

EDIT: the art doesn't work so I will tell you, there is a triangle at the left [Ra] end and a circle at the right [Rb] side.

 

[quantumdude]

Originally posted by kyle_soule
EDIT: the art doesn't work so I will tell you, there is a triangle at the left [Ra] end and a circle at the right [Rb] side.

Sorry, but I am still not sure of what you are trying to draw. Try it using the "code" brackets:

[ code ]

[ /code ]

(without the spaces)

What that does is it preserves spaces that you put in the text, like so:

I'm writing on the left.
                      Oooh, now I'm writing on the right!

 

[kyle_soule]

        50 kip
           |
           V
----------------------------
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  V  
----------------------------  <---- 4 kips/ft
 ^                       (-)    
/_\                      (_)  <---that is a circle
|----10 ft---|
|------------20-------------|

^Ra                        ^Rb