In preparation for a demonstration on conservation of energy, a professor attaches a 5.00 -kg bowling ball to a 4.00 -m-long rope. He pulls the ball \(20.0^{\circ}\) away from the vertical and holds the ball while he discusses the physics principles involved. Assuming that the force he exerts on the ball is entirely in the horizontal direction, find the tension in the rope and the force the professor is exerting on the ball.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: The tension in the rope is about 53.7 N, and the force the professor is exerting on the ball is about 18.3 N.

Step by step solution

01

Identify forces acting on the ball

First, we need to identify the forces acting on the ball. There are three forces acting on the ball: 1. Gravitational force (weight) acted downward by the ball: \(W = mg\), where \(m\) is the mass of the ball and \(g\) is the acceleration due to gravity (\(\approx 9.81 m/s^2\)). 2. Tension force in the rope: \(T\), which acts along the rope. 3. Horizontal force exerted by the professor: \(F_{p}\), which acts perpendicular to the rope.
02

Set up equilibrium equations

Since the ball is stationary, it is in equilibrium. Therefore, the net forces in both horizontal and vertical directions are equal to zero. We can write these two equations using the equilibrium conditions: 1. In the horizontal direction: \(T\sin(\theta) = F_{p}\) 2. In the vertical direction: \(T\cos(\theta) = mg\)
03

Calculate tension

We can start by solving the vertical equation for the tension in the rope: \(T\cos(\theta) = mg\) Now, we can plug in the known values: - \(m = 5.00\,\text{kg}\) - \(\theta = 20^{\circ}\) - \(g = 9.81\,\text{m/s}^2\) \(T = \frac{mg}{\cos(20^{\circ})} = \frac{(5.00 \,\text{kg})(9.81\,\text{m/s}^2)}{\cos(20^{\circ})}\) Calculating the tension, we get: \(T \approx 53.7 \,\text{N}\)
04

Calculate the horizontal force exerted by the professor

Now that we have the tension, we can use the horizontal equation to find the force exerted by the professor: \(F_{p} = T\sin(\theta)\) Plug in the known values: \(F_{p} = (53.7 \,\text{N})\sin(20^{\circ})\) Calculating the force, we get: \(F_{p} \approx 18.3 \,\text{N}\) Therefore, the tension in the rope is about \(53.7\,\text{N}\), and the force the professor is exerting on the ball is about \(18.3\,\text{N}\).

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

A uniform, equilateral triangle of side length \(2.00 \mathrm{~m}\) and weight \(4.00 \cdot 10^{3} \mathrm{~N}\) is placed across a gap. One point is on the north end of the gap, and the opposite side is on the south end. Find the force on each side.

During a picnic, you and two of your friends decide to have a three-way tug- of-war, with three ropes in the middle tied into a knot. Roberta pulls to the west with \(420 \mathrm{~N}\) of force; Michael pulls to the south with \(610 \mathrm{~N}\). In what direction and with what magnitude of force should you pull to keep the knot from moving?

The angular displacement of a torsional spring is proportional to the applied torque; that is \(\tau=\kappa \theta,\) where \(\kappa\) is a constant. Suppose that such a spring is mounted to an arm that moves in a vertical plane. The mass of the arm is \(45.0 \mathrm{~g}\), and it is \(12.0 \mathrm{~cm}\) long. The arm-spring system is at equilibrium with the arm at an angular displacement of \(17.0^{\circ}\) with respect to the horizontal. If a mass of \(0.420 \mathrm{~kg}\) is hung from the arm \(9.00 \mathrm{~cm}\) from the axle, what will be the angular displacement in the new equilibrium position (relative to that with the unloaded spring)?

You have a meter stick that balances at the \(55-\mathrm{cm}\) mark. Is your meter stick homogeneous?

A uniform beam of mass \(M\) and length \(L\) is held in static equilibrium, and so the magnitude of the net torque about its center of mass is zero. The magnitude of the net torque on this beam at one of its ends, a distance of \(L / 2\) from the center of mass, is a) \(M g L\). c) zero. b) \(M g L / 2\). d) \(2 M g L\).

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free