Statics:Find the Tension in a rope holding a boom

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a boom supported by a tensioned rope, with a focus on calculating the tension in the rope while considering the forces and torques acting on the system. The boom's weight and its center of gravity are specified, along with the angles involved in the force calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of free body diagrams to identify forces acting on the boom, including weight and tension. There is an exploration of torque calculations using different trigonometric functions, with some questioning the appropriateness of using sine versus cosine in their equations.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, raising questions about the correct application of trigonometric functions in torque calculations and discussing the implications of their diagram orientations. Some guidance has been offered regarding the need to identify the horizontal distance from the axis of rotation to the line of action of the forces.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a specific figure referenced in the problem statement, which is not visible in the discussion. Participants express confusion regarding the treatment of the boom's orientation and the implications for torque calculations.

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Homework Statement


The boom in the figure below (Figure 1) weighs 2450 N and is attached to a frictionless pivot at its lower end. It is not uniform; the distance of its center of gravity from the pivot is 35.5 % of its length.
Find the tension of the guy wire.
yg.10.60.jpg

Homework Equations


Στ=0
∑F=0
τ=F*Dsin(θ)

The Attempt at a Solution


I made a free body diagram where the boom is the object and i drew three forces acting on it.

The three forces acting on the boom are weight of the boom, weight of the box, and the tension in the rope.

I then tried to use the sum of the torques to find tension:

Στ=0=wboomsin(60°)(.355L) + wboxsin(60°)L - T1sin(30°)L

then rearranged

wboomsin(60°)(.335L) + wboxsin(60°)L = T1sin(30°)L

then i canceled out the L variable, and plugged in and simplified and got this:

T1 = 10,167 N => 10200 N.

This is wrong.
I peaked at the yahoo answer and they used cos(θ) instead of sin(θ) which does not make sense to make because then the force calculated would move the boom linearly rather than creating a torque.
 
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fishturtle1 said:

Homework Statement


The boom in the figure below (Figure 1) weighs 2450 N and is attached to a frictionless pivot at its lower end. It is not uniform; the distance of its center of gravity from the pivot is 35.5 % of its length.
yg.10.60.jpg

Homework Equations


Στ=0
∑F=0
τ=F*Dsin(θ)

The Attempt at a Solution


I made a free body diagram where the boom is the object and i drew three forces acting on it.

The three forces acting on the boom are weight of the boom, weight of the box, and the tension in the rope.

I then tried to use the sum of the torques to find tension:

Στ=0=wboomsin(60°)(.355L) + wboxsin(60°)L - T1sin(30°)L

then rearranged

wboomsin(60°)(.335L) + wboxsin(60°)L = T1sin(30°)L

then i canceled out the L variable, and plugged in and simplified and got this:

T1 = 10,167 N => 10200 N.

This is wrong.
I peaked at the yahoo answer and they used cos(θ) instead of sin(θ) which does not make sense to make because then the force calculated would move the boom linearly rather than creating a torque.
Post the entire problem statement.
 
fishturtle1 said:
I peaked at the yahoo answer and they used cos(θ) instead of sin(θ) which does not make sense to make because then the force calculated would move the boom linearly rather than creating a torque.
For the torque of a vertical force around the axis you need the horizontal distance from the axis to the line of action of the force.
If L is the hypotenuse and the angle to the horizontal is θ, what is that horizontal distance?
 
haruspex said:
For the torque of a vertical force around the axis you need the horizontal distance from the axis to the line of action of the force.
If L is the hypotenuse and the angle to the horizontal is θ, what is that horizontal distance?
the horizontal distance would be Lcos(θ), but why are we treating L as a hypotenuse?

In my diagram I reoriented the boom horizontal and then i did sinθ to find the Fy of each force and then calculated the torques that way.

I am confused when you say "you need a horizontal distance from the axis of the line of action of the force"? So does this mean I need to find the distance from the axis of rotation to the line where the force is being applied?
 

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