How Do Angles Affect Tension and Equilibrium in a Strut System?

[Bryon]

https://wug-s.physics.uiuc.edu/cgi/courses/shell/common/showme.pl?cc/DuPage/phys2111/fall/homework/Ch-12-Equilibrium/block-strut/block-strut-eq.gif [/URL]

Sorry, forgot to add the picture...

1. Homework Statement
The system shown to the right is in equilibrium. The steel block has a mass m1 = 248 kg and the uniform rigid aluminum strut has a mass m2 = 47 kg. The strut is hinged so that it can pivot freely about it's bottom end. The angle between the left wire and the ground is Θ = 32o and the angle between the strut and the ground is φ = 49o

Homework Equations

torque = rFsin(theta)

The Attempt at a Solution

a) What is the tension in the vertical wire that holds the steel block? 2432.88 N
b) What is the tension in the left angled wire?

torque(hinge) = 0 = m(block)Lcos(49) + 0.5(m(strut)Lcos(49) - T2Lcos(49-32)
I got T2 = 1827.197

That seems low for where the pivot is.
Any idea were I screwed up? Thanks!

 

[kuruman]

We can't help you because we can't see "the system shown to the right."

 

[Bryon]

Sorry about that...forgot to add the pic.

 

[kuruman]

You need sin(49-32) in your expression, not cos(49-32). Think of it this way, if Θ = Φ, i.e. the cable is pulling in along the direction of the strut, the torque due to the tension should be zero. This is the case if you use the sine and not the cosine.

Also, be sure to multiply all masses by g to get the weights. Your expression omits g.