How Do Tension and Torque Affect Equilibrium in Physics Problems?

[blackout85]

Torque

Homework Statement

A 160 N child sit on a light swing and is pulled back and held with a horizontal force 100 N. The tension force of each of the two supporting ropes is:

A uniform plank is supported by two equal 120N forces at X and Y at both ends of the plank.The support at X is then moved to Z (halfway to the plank center). The support of X and Z now have magnitudes of:

Homework Equations

a) the first one I don't know where to begin. I know the child's weight acts down 160N and that the tension of the ropes would have to support the child's weight. There would also be a 100N force acting up. I can't do this equilibrium way so I am lost.

b) ok so I said:
Fx + Fy= 240N
because both of them were 120N to be in equilibrium. I took the 240N to be the weight of the plank.
Then I moved Fx in my drawing to the Z part of the plank, halfway between the center of the board and the end. I then picked a length value to represent the distance. I choose 1m. So I said that Z must now be at 2.5m. I picked Fy as the torque point because it did not move and it was at the end.

so:
torque rotations about Fy
counterclockwise = clockwise
center of board weight down = Fz force up
(.5 X 240)= (.25 X Fz)
Fz= 480N (looks wrong)

then I am stuck...

 

[estel]

1- you can do it the eqbm way.
You've got to balance the following forces:
Tension, weight, pull.

weight is down, the pull is back, so the tension must act at an angle to counter both of these. The vertical component of the tension is 160N, the horizontal component is 100N

 

[daniel_i_l]

Draw a diagram with the forces and see what the total tension has to be so that the forces cancel out on both the x and the y axes. but remember that the tension of each rope is only 1/2 of the total tension.

 

[blackout85]

question

A 160N child sits on a light swing and is pulled back and held with a horizontal force of 100N. The tension force of each of the two supporting ropes is:

work:
The tension force of the Ta and Tb must support the weight of the child and the horizontal force of 100N.

so:
Ta + Tb= 160N
Someone commented that I need to have an angle for the tension ropes in order to support the both horizontal and vertical components. I am having trouble in the equation setup. please help still confused

How can deal with this as an equilibrium torque problem if no lengths are given?

Sorry to post again. but no one responds to my replies

 

[berkeman]

Sorry to post again. but no one responds to my replies

Do NOT multiple post. I've merged your other thread into this thread, and I'm giving you warning points. If you continue to multiple-post, you will be banned from the PF. That is not how the PF works.

As to your question -- does the problem diagram show whether the holding force on the swing is horizontal or tangential? What does your free body diagram look like?

 

[blackout85]

Sorry, I won't double post
It says that the holding force for the swing is horizontal. I have the two holding forces going up on by free body diagram, the weight force going down, and the 100N force horizontal.

 

[blackout85]

Could someone help me?

 

[berkeman]

It sounds like you have the FBD correct. Now just write expressions for the vertical and horizontal components of the forces, and set the sum in each axis to zero (nothing is moving). Then solve for the unknown tensions.