Suppose you use a piece of fishing line to hang a large object from the ceiling. The line has a test strength of 125 lbs. Convert this to newtons, and determine the maximum mass that can be supported before the line breaks.
To convert pounds (lbs) to newtons (N), you can use the conversion factor that 1 lb is approximately equal to 4.45 N.
Therefore, to convert 125 lbs to newtons:
125 lbs * 4.45 N/lb = 556.25 N
The maximum mass that can be supported before the line breaks can be determined using Newton's second law of motion (F = ma), where F is the force on the line, m is the mass, and a is the acceleration due to gravity.
In this case, the maximum force that the line can withstand without breaking is 556.25 N. Knowing that the acceleration due to gravity is approximately 9.8 m/s^2, we can calculate the maximum mass as follows:
F = ma
556.25 N = m * 9.8 m/s^2
m = 556.25 N / 9.8 m/s^2 ≈ 56.83 kg
Therefore, the maximum mass that can be supported before the line breaks is approximately 56.83 kg.