Tension and Forces Question: Need Help with a Challenging Problem

[Calgria]

I have this tension problem that I attached and I have no idea where to start working this. We've normally just done linear things with coupled motion, either horizontally or vertically, so I'm completely lost on how to even start this. If anyone can point me in the right direction i'd appreciate it.

 

[Naeem]

What do u need to find in this problem? Does the question ask you to find anything?

 

[Naeem]

If you need to find the tensions in the cables T1 and T2 I would do as follows:

Sum of the forces along the x-axis and y-axis must be zero, because the net force on the hanging mass is zero. For the x- component of forces,

-T1 cos theta1 + T2 cos theta 2 = 0

( x component of T1 is on the negative x - axis )

Plug in theta 1 and theta 2 from the problem:

Solve for one tension in terms of the other you would get some thing like this :

T2 = some number * T1 or vice versa.

And for y - component of the forces :

T1 sin theta1 + T2 sin theta2 - W = 0. Here -W since since weight is suspended in the y direction.

Solve this equation too, and subsitute one tension in terms of the other from the first equation.

You can get the two tensions.

Hope this helps!, if I have understood the problem correctly.