Question

A horizontal beam of length 3 m and mass 2. 0 kg has a mass of 1. 0 kg and width 0. 2 m sitting at the end of the beam (see the following figure). What is the torque of the system about the support at the wall?

Answer 1

The torque of the system about the support at the wall is 29.4 N·m

Step-by-step explanation:

The torque of a system can be calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the lever arm, which is the perpendicular distance between the line of action of the force and the axis of rotation. In this case, the torque of the system about the support at the wall can be calculated by multiplying the mass at the end of the beam by the gravitational acceleration and the distance from the support to the mass.

Torque = (Mass x Acceleration due to gravity) x Distance from the support

Torque = (1.0 kg x 9.8 m/s^2) x 3 m = 29.4 N·m