Question

The 10kg lamp has a center of mass G. Determine the horizontal and vertical components of the reaction at A, and the force in the cable BC.

A) Only horizontal component at A
B) Only vertical component at A
C) Both horizontal and vertical components at A, and force in cable BC
D) Only force in cable BC

Answer 1

Both horizontal and vertical components of tension must be considered when analyzing the forces on a suspended object. The horizontal forces will cancel, and the vertical tensions will counterbalance the object's weight. The force in cable BC can be determined using static equilibrium equations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing the forces acting on a suspended object, such as a lamp or traffic light, it is important to consider both the horizontal and vertical components of the tension forces. The horizontal components of the tension in the cables must cancel out because the object is not moving sideways.

Thus, the total horizontal reaction at point A must be zero. In contrast, the sum of the vertical components of the tensions must balance the weight of the object to maintain it in equilibrium. To find the force in the cable BC, one must analyze the forces acting on the system and use principles of static equilibrium to solve for the unknown forces.