Question

Captain Kiddo is trapped inside a submarine. In order to escape, she first needs to open a heavy revolving door.

a. Would be easier for her to apply all her force close to the axle of the door or as far away as possible from it?
b. To finally get the hatch open she needs to grab hold of the wheel with her hands on opposite sides and rotate the wheel by exerting a force toward the top of the door on one side while exerting the same force towards the bottom of the door on the opposite side. Is there a net force applied on the wheel? Is there a net torque applied? Explain your answers

Answer 1

a) It will be easier to apply all her force as far as possible from the axle

b) There is a net torque applied

Step-by-step explanation:

a) Applying a larger force far away from the axle of the door produces a larger force on the torque than pushing it near the axle. This is because Increasing the lever arm between the axle and the point at which you push the door increases the torque on the door

b)The door is turning faster and faster because you are exerting a torque on it and its undergoing angular acceleration. There is a net torque which is the addition of the torque applied on the opposite sides of the door