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A cable raises a mass of 120.0 kg with a constant speed. What

force of tension is in the cable
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User Xeph
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1 Answer

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The mass is rising with a constant speed.

=> So it has no vertical acceleration.

=> So there is no net vertical force acting on it.

=> So the sum of the vertical forces on it is zero.

There are two vertical forces acting on the mass.

=> the force of gravity, pulling it down

=> the tension in the cable, pulling it up.

The force of gravity acting on the mass (its weight) is (mass) x (gravity).

=> That's (120 kg) x (9.8 m/s²) downward.

=> That's 1,176 newtons downward.

If the vertical forces add up to zero, the other force ... the tension in the cable ... must be the same magnitude in the opposite direction.

=> The force of tension in the cable is 1,176 newtons upward.

User Jay Viluan
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5.2k points