Calculating Tension For A Massless String

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the tension in a massless rope from which a gymnast hangs. The scenario assumes the gymnast climbs the rope at a constant rate, and the effects of gravity are considered with a standard value.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between tension in the rope when the gymnast is stationary versus when she is climbing at a constant velocity. Questions arise regarding the validity of using gravitational force to determine tension in both scenarios.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring the implications of a massless rope and the conditions under which tension remains constant. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of momentum conservation to support reasoning, but no consensus has been reached on the implications of climbing versus hanging.

Contextual Notes

There is an assumption that the gravitational force remains constant and that the rope does not stretch or have mass. The discussion also highlights the importance of constant velocity in relation to tension.

Yosty22
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Homework Statement


A gymnast of mass 59.0kg hangs from a vertical rope attached to the ceiling. You can ignore the weight of the rope and assume that the rope does not stretch. Use 9.81 m/s^2 for the value for the acceleration of gravity.
Calculate the Tension, T, in the rope if the gymnast climbs the rope at a constant rate.


Homework Equations



None (that I can think of)

The Attempt at a Solution



Since the rope is massless, I was thinking that the tension on the rope if she hangs there motionless should be the same as if she is climbing it. Solving for the Tension of the rope while she was sitting there, I just used mass times gravity, in this case; 59kg*9.81m/s^2=578.79N. Would this answer be the same if she was climbing up the rope as well?
Thanks a lot in advance.
 
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Since the rope is massless, I was thinking that the tension on the rope if she hangs there motionless should be the same as if she is climbing it.
Right, but that is true for a massive rope as well.
Would this answer be the same if she was climbing up the rope as well?
Yes. You can use momentum conservation to show this, for example.
 
mfb said:
Right, but that is true for a massive rope as well.

This is true as long there is no acceleration, correct? As long as the velocity is constant, that is always true?
 
Yes - if we assume that the gravitational force does not depend on the height (a very good approximation here...).
 

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