Recent content by kuruman

A bathroom scale uses a spring, or strain gauge or other such sensor to display the force pushing down on its surface divided by the acceleration of gravity ##g = 9.8~\text{m/s}^2##. It does not read weight or mass. Weight is the force with which the Earth attracts a body and that force is the...

Do you understand what a (bathroom) scale reads? If so, then please post it here in your own words. It is a good starting point and we'll take it from there. It is not at clear to me what question you are asking in post #1, but before attempting to answer your questions, we need first to...

Perhaps. The question asks for the height above ground. The distance from the top can enter the calculation in the form ##d=(3~\text{m}-y)## as a reminder of what needs to be calculated.

As @Herman Trivilino said And use it to find an expression for the tension in the string as a function of height ##y## from the ground. Note that the higher the weight rises, the higher the tension becomes. (Why?)

Or maybe Newton's 3rd law?

Here is the derivation mentioned in post #30. Refer to the figure on the right. It shows half the hexagon as a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle of radius ##R##. The full hexagon can be obtained by reflecting the quadrilateral about the diameter or by appending to it itself rotated by...

Yes, it's a diameter.

Using the law of cosines and reasonably simple algebra, I got the following expression for the radius-squared in terms of the given sides $$R^2=\frac{a^3-b^3}{3(a-b)}.$$I will post my derivaton in a few hours because it's very late where I am.

I think it is safe to assume that links BC and CD are massless because no masses are given for them. Assume that the torque at M gives rise to a force ##F_D## at D that is just right to prevent the combined (arm + wheel) assembly AO from rotating either clockwise or counterclockwise.

Is this it?

So what exactly are you given and what are you asked to find?

I concur with @DaveE. This problem is badly formulated and has nothing to teach you that you don't already know. Time to move on.

Since we are in the guessing realm, I imagine that this could have started as a multiple answer problem, without the voltmeters, asking the question, What combination of open/closed switches would match the current read by the ammeters (mark all that apply)? Both open Both closed Only top...

I don't think these are current sources. Most likely they are ammeters. With both keys switches closed, the battery provides current (not 1 A) which splits equally at the node. This makes sense.

Since ##m_2## and ##m_1## accelerate as one, you don't need separate free body diagrams (FBDs) for the two masses. Solve the problem as if a single mass ##(m_1+m_2)## is placed on the block. The coefficient of static friction ##\mu_s## is irrelevant because we are not told that ##m_2## is on...