Question

Tom weighs 60kg and is 2 m from the center of a seesaw. Gloria, who weighs 40 kg, sits on the seesaw across from Tom. In order to balance the seesaw, about where should Gloria sit?

A) 1.5 m from the center
B) 2.0 m from the center
C) 2.5 m from the center
D) 3.0 m from the center

Answer 1

Gloria should sit 3.0 m from the center of the seesaw to balance it, as this distance will create an equal moment of force but in the opposite direction to Tom's.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find out where Gloria should sit on the seesaw to balance it with Tom, we can use the principle of moments which states that for the seesaw to be in equilibrium, the clockwise moments must equal the anticlockwise moments. This is calculated by multiplying the weight of the person by their distance from the pivot point (moment = force x distance). In this case, Tom weighs 60kg and is 2 m from the center, so his moment is 60kg x 2m = 120 kg·m. Gloria weighs 40kg, so we need to find a distance that, when multiplied by her weight, equals 120 kg·m.

To find this distance, we divide Tom's moment by Gloria's weight:

Distance for Gloria = Tom's moment / Gloria's weight = 120 kg·m / 40kg = 3.0 m.

Therefore, Gloria should sit 3.0 m from the center of the seesaw to balance it. This corresponds to answer option D.