A person exerts a horizontal force of F = 174 N in the test apparatus shown in the drawing. (h = 0.33 m.) Find the horizontal force M that his flexor muscle exerts on his forearm.
To find the horizontal force M that the person's flexor muscle exerts on his forearm, we can use the principles of torque and equilibrium.
First, let's understand the setup of the problem. The force F of 174 N is acting horizontally, and we need to find the force M acting vertically. The distance h of 0.33 m is the perpendicular distance between the line of action of force F and the pivot point.
Now, let's use the principle of torque. Torque is the rotational equivalent of force and is given by the formula Torque = Force × Distance. In this case, the torque exerted by force F is equal to the torque exerted by force M.
The torque exerted by force F is calculated as follows:
TorqueF = F × h
The torque exerted by force M is equal to the product of the force M and the perpendicular distance from the pivot point to the line of action of force M. However, since the force M is acting vertically, the perpendicular distance is h.
Therefore, we can set up the equation:
TorqueF = TorqueM
F × h = M × h
Now we can solve for M:
M = F × h / h
Since h is common in both numerator and denominator, we can simplify the equation to:
M = F
Therefore, the horizontal force M that the person's flexor muscle exerts on his forearm is equal to the horizontal force F of 174 N.