Pulling force for Bosun's chair?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Theorγ
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Force
AI Thread Summary
To determine the force a man must exert to pull himself up in a Bosun's chair at constant velocity, it's essential to recognize that two ropes exert tension on the system: one from the man pulling down and another from the chair. The combined mass of the man and chair is 95 kg, which means the gravitational force acting on them is 95 kg multiplied by the acceleration due to gravity. Since the system is in equilibrium (constant velocity implies no acceleration), the total tension from both ropes must equal the weight of the man and chair. The correct approach involves analyzing the forces acting on the man and chair together, leading to the conclusion that the man must pull with a force equal to half his weight to ascend steadily. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for solving problems involving pulleys and tension.
Theorγ
Messages
57
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


A pulley is attached to the ceiling, with a rope going over that pulley and both objects are mass less. At one end of the rope, a Bosun's chair with a man sitting on it is attached, and the man is holding on to the other end of the rope. The man and chair's mass combined is 95 kg. What is the force the man must use to pull himself up at constant velocity?

Homework Equations


F_{net} = m a

The Attempt at a Solution


I first drew all the forces on the system by using the following equations:

Forces on the man and chair
-F_{g} + T = m a

Forces on the other end of rope
F_{pull} - T = m a

Definition of Constant velocity
a = 0

Subbing in the given values will give the notion that the man must pull his own weight to go up, but apparently this is not the answer, so what am I missing?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Theorγ said:

Homework Statement


A pulley is attached to the ceiling, with a rope going over that pulley and both objects are mass less. At one end of the rope, a Bosun's chair with a man sitting on it is attached, and the man is holding on to the other end of the rope. The man and chair's mass combined is 95 kg. What is the force the man must use to pull himself up at constant velocity?

Homework Equations


F_{net} = m a

The Attempt at a Solution


I first drew all the forces on the system by using the following equations:

Forces on the man and chair
-F_{g} + T = m a

Forces on the other end of rope
F_{pull} - T = m a

Definition of Constant velocity
a = 0

Subbing in the given values will give the notion that the man must pull his own weight to go up, but apparently this is not the answer, so what am I missing?
You are missing the fact that if you draw a free body diagram of the chair with the man on it, there are two ropes pulling up on them...one on the man and one on the chair. The tension on each rope must be equal, and the sum of those 2 tensions must equal the weight of the man and chair.
 
There's a rope pulling on the man?
 
The man pulls down on the rope. According to Newton's third law, the rope will pull up on the man with an equal force.

If you imagine a man hanging on to a rope half way up a cliff, you will see this force must exist!
 
Delphi51 said:
The man pulls down on the rope. According to Newton's third law, the rope will pull up on the man with an equal force.

If you imagine a man hanging on to a rope half way up a cliff, you will see this force must exist!

So do you mean:

-F_{g} + F_{n} + F_{pull} = m a
F_{pull} - F_{n} - F_{g} = m a
 
Last edited:
You have already established that a = 0, so if you look at the forces on the man only, it's Ft + Fn - Fg = 0 ( the normal force acts in the same direction as the tension force). But you still cannot find Ft ,since Fn is also unknown. So instead, draw a FBD of the man-chair system, isolating them from the pulley. Then the normal force becomes internal to your system, and does not enter into the equation using Newton 1. Only the rope tensions and the weights act when looking at it this way. Solve for Ft.
 
Thread 'Collision of a bullet on a rod-string system: query'
In this question, I have a question. I am NOT trying to solve it, but it is just a conceptual question. Consider the point on the rod, which connects the string and the rod. My question: just before and after the collision, is ANGULAR momentum CONSERVED about this point? Lets call the point which connects the string and rod as P. Why am I asking this? : it is clear from the scenario that the point of concern, which connects the string and the rod, moves in a circular path due to the string...
Back
Top