Solve Hanging Sign Problem: Tension in Two Ropes

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves determining the tension in two ropes that are supporting a sign weighing 59 kg. The ropes are attached to the sign at a single point and meet the ceiling at angles of 24 degrees and 72 degrees.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to establish an equation involving the tensions and the weight of the sign. Some participants question the setup, particularly the terminology used to describe the angles and the triangle formed by the ropes.

Discussion Status

Participants are exploring different interpretations of the problem setup. Some guidance has been offered regarding the use of trigonometric functions to resolve the tensions into components, but there is no explicit consensus on the approach as the original poster expresses confusion before stating they figured it out.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of potential misunderstanding regarding the geometry of the situation, specifically the angles not forming a right triangle. The original poster also indicates a lack of clarity in their understanding of the problem.

miewann
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1. Ok, i need help on this question:
Find the tension in two ropes holding up a sign. The sign weighs 59 kg. The hypotenuse of the ropes holding the sign is the ceiling, with the left angle of 24 degrees, and the right is 72 degrees.



2. How do i solve this?



3. i think i start out with T1+T2+Mg=0
 
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You are saying then that the sign is held by two ropes attached to the sign at a single point? And the ropes meet the ceiling at angles of 24 and 72 degrees? If so then "hypotenuse" is the wrong word- this is not a right triangle since 24 and 72 do not add to 90 degrees.

No, you do NOT start out with T1+ T2+ Mg= 0. T1 and T2 are forces in the direction of the 2 ropes and -Mg is the force straight down. You need to use trig functions to separate the T1 and T2 into horizontal and vertical components. The horizontal components add to 0 and the vertical components add to -Mg (so your equation above is correct if you use the vertical components of T1 and T2).
 
ok, so I'm sorry, i have no idea what I'm doing. is it 24cosT2 and 72cosT1?
 
nevermind i figured it out
 

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