When Marcel finds the distance L from the previous part, it turns out to be greater than Lend, the distance from the pivot to th

Question

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When Marcel finds the distance L from the previous part, it turns out to be greater than Lend, the distance from the pivot to th

e end of the seesaw. Hence, even with Jacques at the very end of the seesaw, the twins Gilles and Jean exert more torque than Jacques does. Marcel now elects to balance the seesaw by pushing sideways on an ornament (shown in red) that is at height h above the pivot. (Figure 3)With what force in the rightward direction, Fx, should Marcel push? If your expression would give a negative result (using actual values) that just means the force should be toward the left.Express your answer in terms of W, Lend, w, L2, L3, and h.

Physics

1 answer:

ValentinkaMS [3.4K] · Answer 1 · 2026-04-09T01:32:55+03:00

Response:

Fx = - (1/h)( wL2 + wL3 - wLend )

Clarification:

Let’s assume both twins, Gilles and Jean, weigh ( w ) each

The torque required for equilibrium can be expressed as wL2 + wL3 -------- 1

Thus, the counterclockwise torques are = wLend + Fh ----------- 2

Therefore, equation 2 equates to equation 1

which simplifies to wLend + Fh = wL2 + wL3 --------- 3

Equation 3 can also be arranged as

F = ( 1/h) ( wL2 + wL3 - wLend )---------- 4

From equation 4, it is evident that F appears on the left side, indicating that Fx must be negative

Thus, equation 4 can be expressed as

Fx = - (1/h)( wL2 + wL3 - wLend )