Bonjour
If we have a young man who weigh's 1000 N and another one weighs 500N on a seesaw
They have the same distance apart which is 2 metres away from the pivot
Why do we get the overall 500N Turning clockwise to the 1000N person ?
More mass in the heavier persons position easily overcomes the lighter persons mass and draws the board downward. Just like a big rock is harder to lift than a light one.
O.k thanks I understood this part but why was it 500N ?
500N is just 500 Newtons (a unit of force measurement different than force pounds)Thus: 1 Newton = .2248 Foot Pounds
To understand why the overall force is 500N, we need to consider the concept of torque. Torque is the twisting force that causes objects to rotate. In the case of a seesaw, the torque depends on both the force applied and the distance from the pivot.
In this scenario, the 1000N person exerts a force of 1000N on one side of the seesaw, 2 meters away from the pivot. The torque they generate is calculated by multiplying the force (1000N) by the distance from the pivot (2m). So, the torque they create is 1000N * 2m = 2000Nm.
On the other side, the 500N person exerts a force of 500N, also 2 meters away from the pivot. The torque they generate is 500N * 2m = 1000Nm.
Now, torque is what determines the rotation or turning effect. In equilibrium, the total torque on the seesaw must be zero. This means that the torques created by the two people must balance each other.
Since the 1000N person has a torque of 2000Nm and the 500N person has a torque of 1000Nm, in order to balance the torques, the 500N person must be at twice the distance from the pivot compared to the 1000N person.
So, if the 500N person is 2 meters away from the pivot, the 1000N person must be at 1 meter away from the pivot for their torques to balance. This creates equilibrium, and the seesaw remains level.
In summary, the overall force is 500N because the 500N person needs to be at twice the distance from the pivot in order to balance the torques and achieve equilibrium. This allows the seesaw to remain level.