Tom weighs 60 kg and is 2m from the center of a seesaw. Jerry, who weighs 40 kg, sits on the seesaw across from Tom. In order
to balance the seesaw, about where should Jerry sit?
60 kg ∙ 2 m = 40 kg ∙ x m
60 ∙ 2 = 40 ∙ x
120 = 40 x
x = 120 / 40 = 3 m
50
What is the atomic number of tin?
Well, Jerry needs to find his "center of mass-ter" to balance the seesaw! Let's see... Tom weighs 60 kg and is 2 m from the center. That means his moment is 60 kg * 2 m = 120 kg*m. To balance the seesaw, Jerry's moment needs to equal Tom's moment.
Since Jerry weighs 40 kg, he needs to sit at a distance that gives him a moment of 120 kg*m. Dividing 120 kg*m by Jerry's weight (40 kg), we find that he should sit at a distance of 3 meters from the center.
So, Jerry should sit 3 meters away from the center to balance the seesaw and avoid any "teeter-totter-tastic" tumbles!
To find out where Jerry should sit in order to balance the seesaw, we need to consider the weight and distance of both Tom and Jerry. We can use the concept of torque, which is the product of an object's weight and its distance from a fulcrum (in this case, the center of the seesaw).
Let's calculate the torque for each person:
Tom's torque = Tom's weight x Tom's distance from the center
= 60 kg x 2 m
= 120 kg·m
Jerry's torque = Jerry's weight x Jerry's distance from the center
= 40 kg x ? m <-- unknown value we need to find
Since the seesaw is balanced, the total torque on one side must be equal to the total torque on the other side.
Tom's torque = Jerry's torque
120 kg·m = 40 kg x ? m
To solve for the unknown distance, we can rearrange the equation:
? m = (120 kg·m) / 40 kg
= 3 m
Therefore, Jerry should sit about 3 meters from the center of the seesaw to balance it.