Question

The weight P in pounds that a beam can safely carry is inversely proportional to the distance D in feet between the supports of the beam. For a certain type of wooden beam, P=7200/D. What distance between supports is needed to carry 2000 lb?

Answer 1

To find the necessary distance between supports to safely carry 2000 pounds, use the inverse proportion formula D = 7200/P. Substituting P with 2000 gives D = 3.6 feet between supports.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question involves finding the distance between supports necessary for a beam to safely carry 2000 pounds. Given the inverse relationship P = 7200/D where P is the weight the beam can carry and D is the distance between supports, we need to calculate the value of D for P = 2000 pounds.

To find D, we rearrange the formula to D = 7200/P and substitute P with 2000 pounds:

D = 7200/2000

D = 3.6 feet

Therefore, a distance of 3.6 feet between supports is needed for the wooden beam to safely carry a weight of 2000 pounds.

Answer 2

I got 5200 I'm not really sure but u can check