Question

To make extra money during the summer, Mr. Garber, a 66.0-kg physics teacher, paints the outside of houses while sitting on a 5.0-kg plank suspended by three vertical cables. What is the tension in each of the three cables?

Answer 1

The total mass of Mr. Garber and the plank is 71kg. We can find the tension in the cable by dividing the gravitational force by 3. So let's solve for the gravitational force.


`F_(g) = (71kg)*(9.81m/s) = 696.51N`

Next divide by three because the tension is split.


`F_(T) = 696.51/3 = 232.17N`


`F_(T) = 232.17N`