Two identical perfectly smooth 71.2 N bowling balls 21.7 cm in diameter are hung together from the same hook by two massless wires. The bowling ball are just in contact with one another, and the angle between the two wires is 50 degrees. What is the force that one bowling ball ecers on the other?

2 answers

Draw a vector diagram. Now on one ball, mg is downward, 71.2N

The triangle has a 25deg. Knowing the downward magnitude, the force vector must be 71.2N*tan25

check my thinking.
i did 71.2tan(25) and got 33.2 which is the correct answer thank you !