Question

A bolt in a table saw needs to be tightened. Jim applies a force of 82 N with a wrench that is held 60 degrees from the perpendicular and is 42 cm long. What torque does the wrench exert on the bolt?

Answer 1

The torque exerted on the bolt is approximately 29.6 newton-meters (N.m), calculated using the formula Torque = Force x Distance x sin(θ) with the given values of force, wrench length, and angle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student has asked about the torque exerted on a bolt with a force applied using a wrench. To calculate torque, we use the formula:

Torque = Force x Distance x sin(θ)

Where:

Force is the force applied (in newtons)

Distance is the perpendicular distance from the pivot point to the line of action of the force (in meters)

θ is the angle between the force and the perpendicular to the pivot point

In this scenario, we have a force of 82 N applied with a wrench that is 42 cm long, which is 0.42 m in SI units. The angle given is 60 degrees from the perpendicular.

The torque is therefore calculated as:

82 N x 0.42 m x sin(60°) = approximately 29.6 N.m