How to Solve Tension Problems in Physics?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wanting to Learn
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Tension
Click For Summary
The discussion revolves around solving tension problems in physics, specifically using Newton's Laws and free body diagrams. A student seeks resources to understand tension calculations, particularly for a scenario involving a flowerpot suspended by three ropes at an angle. Participants clarify that the tension in each rope can be calculated by considering the vertical components of the forces involved, emphasizing the importance of using trigonometric functions like sine and cosine. They also discuss the relationship between mass, weight, and tension, noting that the vertical rope will experience different tension than the angled ropes. The conversation highlights the need for a solid grasp of vector components and the application of formulas to solve for tension accurately.
  • #31
Wanting to Learn said:
Okay, in class we use kg and N. So are Newtons meaning weight and force the same meaning/measurement? I didn't know that Newtons are a unit of weight, just that they are used for force measurements, such as F=ma.
That is another question I have is that in F=ma the units are Newtons = kg * m/s2
How does this work? As in for every other math/chem etc thing/equation units always (in my knowledge/class experience) have to cancel, (ex with PV=nRT in chemistry the units of R always ensure that all the units cancel).
Is a Newton equivalent to a kilogram meter divided by second squared (N=kg*m/s2)?
I guess that is the case, but why? I always wonder how units such as that come to be - is it just for convenience because those happen to be the units that are used, or is there a more specific reason?
(I realize this turned into a really long/different question and it's okay if you're not sure about these questions.)
(Maybe I should make the second half of this a new thread?)​
I would ask what the deep meaning of the origin of the netwon is but yes a Newton is a kilogram meter / second squared. Because weight is a force (measured in Newtons) it is the mass time the gravity (gravity can also be seen as an acceleration downward caused by the earth)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #32
DoctorPhysics said:
I would ask what the deep meaning of the origin of the netwon is but yes a Newton is a kilogram meter / second squared. Because weight is a force (measured in Newtons) it is the mass time the gravity (gravity can also be seen as an acceleration downward caused by the earth)
Okay, thank you very much.
 
  • #33
Wanting to Learn said:
weight and force the same meaning/measurement?
The weight of an object means the force exerted on it by gravitational attraction (of the planet etc. that it is near). That is why an object weighs less on the moon than on Earth even though its mass is the same. So yes, weight is a force.
The mass of an object is its resistance to being accelerated, i.e. mass is defined as force/acceleration.
That gravitational attraction is proportional to mass is a matter of observation, and is what led Einstein to his General Relativity theory. It was not inevitably true. One could imagine some type of matter which takes force to accelerate it but does not experience gravitational attraction.
Wanting to Learn said:
Is a Newton equivalent to a kilogram meter divided by second squared (N=kg*m/s2)?
I guess that is the case, but why
Because that is how the unit Newton is defined, for convenience. In the SI systems, units are, as far as possible, chosen such that there are no conversion factors needed. The current international standard (there are older ones) is known as MKS, standing for metres, kilograms, seconds. The definitions of Pascal, Newton, Joule and Watt all arise directly from these.
 

Similar threads

Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
4K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
759
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
791
Replies
5
Views
7K
Replies
16
Views
911
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K