Question

An art student is designing a funky hanging sculpture in which three identical flying saucer sculptural pieces will be suspended from identical wires, as shown, from the gallery ceiling. If each wire is rated at holding a maximum tension of no more than 90.0 N, what is the maximum mass for each piece of sculpture? ​

Answer 1

The maximum mass for each sculpture suspended from the ceiling, given the tension limit of the wires, is 9.18 kg.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the maximum mass for each piece of sculpture that can be suspended from the gallery ceiling without exceeding the tension limit of the wires, we must use the relationship between tension, mass, and gravitational force. Given that each wire can hold a tension up to 90.0 N and assuming the only force acting on the wire is the gravitational force, the maximum mass (m) for each sculpture can be calculated using the equation:

T = m ⋅ g,

where T is the tension in the wire, m is the mass of the sculpture, and g is the acceleration due to gravity. Substituting T with 90.0 N and g with 9.8 m/s² (standard gravity), we solve for m:

m = T/g = 90.0 N / 9.8 m/s² = 9.18 kg,

Therefore, the maximum mass for each sculpture is 9.18 kg.