A uniform plank of length 5.5 m and weight 219 N rests horizontally on two supports, with 1.1 m of the plank hanging over the right support (see the drawing). To what distance x can a person who weighs 447 N walk on the overhanging part of the plank before it just begins to tip?
Assume the weight of the plank acts through the denter of mass. When tipping starts. there will be no force applied at the left support, and the net torque about the right support (the pivot point) will be zero. Write that as an equation and solve for the distance from the picot point.
1 answer