An archer is preparing to shoot an arrow. He grabs the center of the bowstring and pulls straight back with a force of magnitude F = 173 N. The upper and lower halves of the string form an angle α = 104∘ with respect to each other. Assume that the bowstring is massless.

Question

An archer is preparing to shoot an arrow. He grabs the center of the bowstring and pulls straight back with a force of magnitude F = 173 N. The upper and lower halves of the string form an angle α = 104∘ with respect to each other. Assume that the bowstring is massless.

(a) What is the magnitude of the tension in the upper half of the bowstring?

(b) What is the magnitude of the tension in the lower half of the bowstring?

How to do it?

Answer 1

An archer is preparing to shoot an arrow. He grabs the center of the bowstring and pulls straight back with a force of magnitude F = 173 N. The upper and lower halves of the string form an angle α = 104∘ with respect to each other. Assume that the bowstring is massless.

T₁=T₂=F/2cos(α/2) =173/2•cos52=140.5 N