Equilibrium Forces on an Aerialist Walking a Tightrope

AI Thread Summary
An aerialist walking an 8-meter wire is in equilibrium, with a weight of 720 N and a 3-meter rope pulling him. The equilibrium condition states that the sum of the tension vectors from the wire and rope, along with the weight vector, equals zero. Participants in the discussion question whether the tension in the wire is equal on both sides and if angles are involved, suggesting the need for a diagram to clarify the forces. A diagram was provided, showing the forces acting on the aerialist, with the rope parallel to the wire. Understanding the forces and their arrangement is crucial for solving the problem accurately.
jonnyboy
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Homework Statement


An aerialist is walking a wire of length 8 meters. He is being pulled from the edge with a rope that is 3 m in length. The person weighs 720 N and is in equilibrium. Determine a) the tension of the wire, b) the tension of the rope

Homework Equations


Since the person is in equilibrium, the resulting Force is 0.
The resultant must be the Tension vector of the wire + the tension vector of the rope + the weight vector of person.
(R = T_w + T_r + W = 0)
T_w = T_w(i) + 0(j) <--- i is the x component, and j is the y component
T_r = -T_r(i) + 0(j)
W = 0(i) - 720(j)

The Attempt at a Solution


Is this right?, is T_w the same magnitude on both sides?
 

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Are there any angles involved with this?

I'm not visualizing it from your description.
 
jonnyboy: Are we missing a diagram that goes with this question? If so, could you describe/explain the diagram, and mention any quantities shown on the diagram? The wire is in a V shape, right? Is the rope parallel to the wire? Where is each end of the rope attached? Is the man standing, with his feet apart?
 
***I added the attachment with the image; the red arrows show the forces acting on the body. The arrow represents the rope force to the left and has a length of 3 meters and the whole wire is 8 meters long. The rope is parallel to the wire. Both the wire and the rope are on the horizontal sense.
 
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