A painter is on a scaffold that hangs by two ropes. The scaffold weighs 2500 N, and the painter weighs 800 N. The breaking point of each rope is 2100 N.
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0m 1m 5m. 6m
This diagram shows where each rope is placed.
a. If the painter stands in the middle of the scaffold, what are the tensions in the two ropes?
b. The painter walks from the center out past the rope at 5 m. How far to the right of that rope can the painter stand without having it break?
2 answers
Diagram got weird -- the second rope is supposed to be at position 5m, near the end of the scaffold.
a. the total load (2500 N + 800 N) is equally distributed between the ropes
b. using the 1st rope as the pivot point
... 2100 N * 4 m > (2500 N * 2 m) + [800 N * (4 + d) m]
solve for d
b. using the 1st rope as the pivot point
... 2100 N * 4 m > (2500 N * 2 m) + [800 N * (4 + d) m]
solve for d