Guy jumping off a building HELP

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a scenario where a 75kg individual is attempting to escape from a third-story jail window using a makeshift rope that can only support a mass of 58kg. The discussion centers around the feasibility of using the rope for escape and the forces involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the idea of using multiple ropes to distribute the weight and reduce the tension on each individual rope. Questions arise about the implications of using more than one rope and how to calculate the forces involved.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively discussing potential methods to address the weight limitation of the rope. Some have suggested dividing the weight among multiple ropes, while others are clarifying the relationship between tension and weight. There appears to be a productive exchange of ideas regarding the mechanics of the situation.

Contextual Notes

There is a lack of specific information regarding the length of the rope, which may influence the discussion on how to effectively use it for escape. Additionally, the original poster expresses difficulty in understanding the problem, indicating a need for further clarification.

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Homework Statement


a 75kg thief wants to escape from a 3rd story jail window.unfortunately, a makeshift rope made of sheets tied together can support a mass of only 58kg. how might he use this "rope" to escape ? give a quantitative answer.


Homework Equations


[tex]\Sigma F[/tex] = T - mg

(there might be more, but for me that all i can think of)

The Attempt at a Solution



sry i could not figure it out at all...
 
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If one rope was not strong enough what could you do? :wink:
 
erm...not sure
 
Well, if the force on one rope is too great maybe there is a way to divide the force among more than one rope.

EDIT: You are not given a length for the rope. So don't assume it is only three stories long.
 
Last edited:
meaning?
 
If you look closely at a rope you will see that it is made up of multiple strands of much smaller fibers. You can use this same idea to solve your problem.
 
as having more then 1 tension..
 
Sure, maybe two "half" tensions. They still add to the total needed but each would be less than the capacity of your rope.
 
erm so r u saying tat i should use 1/2T + 1/2T - mg= ma
 
  • #10
No, in this case ma = mg. But don't let that confuse you. Do you understand that all you need to do is consider that half the weight can be carried by each of two ropes to overcome the limitation of one single rope?
 
  • #11
tnx a lot i got it now...
 

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