Finding Equilibrium in a Three-Pulley System

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crewss2015
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Homework Statement


Place 0.150kg (including the mass of the hanger) at a position somewhere between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. (I chose 45 degrees for this problem.) Place the second pulley at exactly 180 degrees and the third pulley at exactly 270 degrees. Determine how much mass you must place on the second and third pulleys for the system to be in equilibrium.
I am really not sure about how to approach this problem, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 
Is there a figure that goes along with this problem statement? Put yourself in our place. Do you really think we can figure out what the system looks like from what you've written? We're good, but we're not mind readers.

Chet
 
Chestermiller said:
Is there a figure that goes along with this problem statement? Put yourself in our place. Do you really think we can figure out what the system looks like from what you've written? We're good, but we're not mind readers.

Chet
Hi, here is my attempt to solve the problem. I have drawn the figure in the attachment. The information stated above was the only information given in the problem.
 
Attachments
  • Polar graph paper with hand-drawn force vectors from the centre labelled 120 degrees, 270 degrees, 150 degrees and 45 degrees, with the 150 and 45 labels partly unclear.
    vectorproblem.jpg
    97.6 KB · Views: 608
crewss2015 said:
Hi, here is my attempt to solve the problem. I have drawn the figure in the attachment. The information stated above was the only information given in the problem.
Sorry, I still don't follow the description. Maybe someone else can.

Chet
 
I see three lines. Are these lines pendulums? are these masses connected in any way? Sounds like the problem revolves around a contraption, we just don't know what it is.
 
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