A tight-rope walker walks across a 30.0 m long wire tied between two poles. The center of the wire is displaced vertically downward by 1.0 m when he is half-way across. If the tension in both halves of the wire at this point is 3675 N, what is the mass of the tight-rope walker? Neglect the mass of the wire

Idk man

83

the force diagram reflects the physical setup

the walker is 15.0 m from either end; and is displacing the wire 1.0 m

this means that the vertical component of the tension is one-fifteenth the tension in the wire (on BOTH sides)

so the force exerted by the walker is 3675/15 * 2

the mass of the walker is the force, divided by gravitational acceleration (g)

49.8 kg

To find the mass of the tight-rope walker, we can use the principles of equilibrium. We know that the tension in both halves of the wire is equal, and the center of the wire is displaced vertically downward by 1.0 m when he is halfway across.

Let's break down the problem into smaller steps:

Step 1: Determine the weight of the tight-rope walker.
The displacement of the center of the wire can be attributed to the force of gravity acting on the tight-rope walker. We can use the equation:

Weight (mg) = Tension

Where "m" is the mass of the tight-rope walker and "g" is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s^2).

Step 2: Calculate the tension in the wire.
Since the tension in both halves of the wire is 3675 N, the total tension in the wire can be calculated by summing the tensions in each half:

Total Tension = Tension in the first half + Tension in the second half

Total Tension = 3675 N + 3675 N = 7350 N

Step 3: Set up the equation and solve for the mass.
Using the equation from step 1 and the total tension from step 2:

Weight (mg) = Total Tension

m * 9.8 m/s^2 = 7350 N

m = 7350 N / 9.8 m/s^2

Calculating the mass:

m ≈ 750 kg

Therefore, the mass of the tight-rope walker is approximately 750 kg.