Question

A 1500 kg drawbridge, 5.66 m long, is being lifted by a cable attached to its end. The cable exerts a 10800 N force at a 50.0 degree angle. What is the net torque on the drawbridge?

Answer 1

To calculate the net torque on the drawbridge, multiply the perpendicular distance from the point of rotation to where the force is applied by the horizontal component of the force.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the net torque on the drawbridge, we need to consider the rotational forces acting on it. The torque is calculated by multiplying the force applied to the bridge by the distance from the point of rotation to where the force is applied. In this case, the force exerted by the cable is 10800 N at a 50.0 degree angle. We can resolve this force into its components: the vertical component is 10800 * sin(50) N and the horizontal component is 10800 * cos(50) N.

The distance from the point of rotation to where the force is applied is the length of the drawbridge, which is 5.66 m. The net torque can be calculated by multiplying the perpendicular distance from the point of rotation to where the force is applied by the horizontal component of the force. The perpendicular distance is 5.66 * sin(50) m. Finally, we can multiply the perpendicular distance by the horizontal component of the force to find the net torque:

Net torque = (5.66 * sin(50)) * (10800 * cos(50)) N·m