Torque of man on a beam trying to paint his house

In summary, a man of mass 95 kg is building a platform to paint his house. The platform consists of a uniform beam with a mass of 100 kg and a length of 7 meters, supported by two sawhorses. To calculate the force exerted by the beam on the support at A, the man standing at point B, and the distance needed to unbalance the beam, torque needs to be taken into account. It is recommended to show your own attempt at solving the problem before asking for help on a separate forum.
  • #1
ldbrown3
1
0
A man of mass mm = 95 kg decides to paint his house. To do this, he builds a platform using a uniform beam with a mass of mb = 100 kg and a length of L = 7 meters. The beam is supported by two sawhorses, as shown in the diagram above.


1) If the man stands over the support at point B, calculate the force exerted by the beam on the support at A.
F =
How far from the end of the beam (the end closest to support A) does the person have to stand to unbalance the beam?
x =
 
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  • #2
ldbrown3 said:
A man of mass mm = 95 kg decides to paint his house. To do this, he builds a platform using a uniform beam with a mass of mb = 100 kg and a length of L = 7 meters. The beam is supported by two sawhorses, as shown in the diagram above.
No diagram. I take it A and B are not at the ends of the beam.
1) If the man stands over the support at point B, calculate the force exerted by the beam on the support at A.
F =
How far from the end of the beam (the end closest to support A) does the person have to stand to unbalance the beam?
x =
Like the title says, this is torque ... how did you attempt the problem.
 
  • #3
Homework, right? Including a reference to a diagram not shown. There's a separate forum for that, and at the very least you need to show your own attempt at solving it.
 

1. What is torque and how does it relate to painting a house?

Torque is a measure of the force applied to an object to cause it to rotate. In the case of painting a house, the torque is the force exerted by the man on the beam to rotate his body as he paints.

2. How does the man's position on the beam affect the torque?

The man's position on the beam affects the distance between his body and the pivot point (the point where the beam is resting on the house). The farther away he is from the pivot point, the greater the torque will be.

3. Is there an ideal position for the man to stand on the beam to maximize torque?

Yes, there is an ideal position for the man to stand on the beam to maximize torque. This position is directly above the pivot point, as this will create the longest lever arm and therefore the greatest torque.

4. How does the weight of the man and the length of the beam affect the torque?

The weight of the man and the length of the beam both affect the torque. The greater the weight of the man, the greater the force he can exert on the beam. And the longer the beam, the longer the lever arm and therefore the greater the torque.

5. What factors can decrease the torque of the man on the beam while painting?

The torque of the man on the beam can be decreased by several factors, such as the man's body position (if he is not standing directly above the pivot point), the weight of the paint bucket he is carrying, and the friction between the beam and the house.

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