An ideal meter stick is balanced on a pencil which is at the 60 cm mark. A 6 gram mass sits at the 90 cm mark. What is the mass of the meter stick?
Again, I have the answer and it is 18g. I have no clue where to even begin with this questions. Thank you in advance.
the center of mass of the stick is at the 50 cm mark ... 10 cm from the balance point
the 6 g is 30 cm from the balance
10 * m = 30 * 6
asfgrgggggggggggs
To solve this problem, we can use the principle of moments, which states that the sum of the clockwise moments about a point is equal to the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the same point.
To find the mass of the meter stick, we need to consider the moments of both the meter stick and the 6 gram mass around the balance point of the pencil, which is at the 60 cm mark.
Let's denote the mass of the meter stick as M (in grams). The distance of the meter stick from the balance point (60 cm mark) is 60 cm, and the distance of the 6 gram mass from the balance point is 30 cm (90 cm - 60 cm).
Since the meter stick is balanced, the sum of the moments on both sides of the balance point is equal:
Moment of the meter stick = Moment of the 6 gram mass
Mass of the meter stick (M) * Distance from balance point (60 cm) = Mass of the 6 gram mass (6 g) * Distance from balance point (30 cm)
M * 60 cm = 6 g * 30 cm
Now, we can solve for M:
M = (6 g * 30 cm) / 60 cm
M = 3 g
Therefore, the mass of the meter stick is 3 grams, not 18 grams as mentioned earlier.