Will the rope break when the man swings?

In summary: At the bottom of his swing, he is going 8 m/s. The max tension the rope can take without breaking is 2000 N. Does he make it?In summary, Steven swings from a rope which has a max tension of 2000 N; however, because he has a mass of 80 kg, the tension in the string exceeds the limit.
  • #1
dnt
238
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Homework Statement



a man swings from a rope which is 10 feet long. his mass is 80 kg and at the bottom of his swing, he is going 8 m/s. The max tension the rope can take without breaking is 2000 N. Does he make it?

Homework Equations



Fc = mv^2/r

The Attempt at a Solution



first i had to convert the feet to meters (3.05m). then i think the way to solve it is to first figure out the centripetal force generated by swinging - this would be (80 kg)(8)^2/(3.05 m) = 1678 N.

does this mean he's ok because the tension in the string doesn't exceed the 2000 N limit or do I need to include his weight in the problem?
 
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  • #2
You already have his weight in the problem with 80kg
 
  • #3
i konw but how do i put it into the calculations? so far all i figured out was the centripetal force?

how does the centripetal force, tension and his weight relate to each other at the bottom (when he's going 8 m/s)?
 
  • #4
anyone?
 
  • #5
another bump - still confused.

at the bottom of his swing, how does the centripetal force, tension force and his weight relate to each other?

i know weight points up and centripetal force points towards the middle (therefore up), but tension? i think it points up as well so would the equation be:

T + Fc - W = ma?
 
  • #6
10 feet = 3.05m
and [tex]T_{max}=2000N[/tex]

At the bottom;
[tex]\frac{mv^2}{{r}} = F_{T} - mg[/tex]
hence
[tex]F_{T} = \frac{mv^2}{{r}} + mg[/tex]

(If you need more clarification; http://dev.physicslab.org/Document.aspx?doctype=3&filename=OscillatoryMotion_VerticalCircles.xml)

Now you have your mass, radius and velocity given to you.
Using this equation, you should be able to simply plug the values in and get something in the league of [tex]2.46x10^3 N[/tex]

This is more than the maximum tension of 2000N, meaning that the rope will collapse.

Hope this helps
Steven
 

1. What is the "tension rope swing problem"?

The tension rope swing problem is a physics problem that involves calculating the tension force in a rope attached to an object swinging in a circular motion.

2. What are the key factors that affect tension in this problem?

The key factors that affect tension in this problem include the mass of the object, the velocity of the object, the length of the rope, and the angle at which the rope is attached.

3. How is tension calculated in the tension rope swing problem?

Tension is calculated using the formula T=mv^2/r, where T is tension, m is the mass of the object, v is the velocity, and r is the radius of the circular motion.

4. How does the angle of the rope affect tension in this problem?

The angle of the rope affects tension by changing the direction of the force. As the angle decreases, the tension force increases, and as the angle increases, the tension force decreases.

5. What are some real-life applications of the tension rope swing problem?

The tension rope swing problem has many real-life applications, such as calculating the tension in a rope used for rock climbing or in a suspension bridge, determining the speed of a rotating object, and analyzing the forces at play in amusement park rides.

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