Finding the forces exerted with the center of mass?

joeyjane

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
A 1540-kg truck has a wheel base of 3.13 m (this is the distance between the front and rear axles). The center of mass of the truck is 1.29 M behind the front axle.
(a) What is the force exerted by the ground on each of the front wheels?
(b) What is the force exerted by the ground on each of the back wheels?

The distance from the back wheels to the center of mass is d₁, and the distance from the front to the center is d₂


2. Relevant equations
(the sum of the torques)=-mgd₁+2F_front(d₁+d₂)=0

3. The attempt at a solution

The equation I was using was the one my teacher gave us while trying to help with the homework but I didn't get the right answers using it. Any suggestions?

The answers are supposed to be 4440 N for part a, and 3110 N for part b.

NRock

I'm not sure what you're professor was going for, but you don't actually need torque to solve this problem. The weight of the car will be distributed the same whether its is moving or standing still (neglecting air resistance and possible lift issues). My advice is not to worry about fact that they're wheels and just see how the weight is distributed at the four points with the center of mass you were given. I checked and doing it that way, you get the right answer to the number of sig figs you were given.