Thanks! I actually had an epiphany about this right after I woke up this morning... I realized that, of course, F_1 + F_2 equals the total applied force (8500N), so rearranging the equations in terms of F and then adding them together allows one to solve the problem very easily.
Hopefully...
Here's a (hopefully) quick question for you guys... I'm completely stumped on this problem; any help would be appreciated.
Homework Statement
A walkway suspended across a hotel lobby is supported at numerous points along its edges by a vertical cable above and a vertical column underneath...