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Go to https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-act and select Balance Lab. This simulation should run in your browser; best results are with Chrome or Firefox. Play with the
Go to https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-act and select Balance Lab. This simulation should run in your browser; best results are with Chrome or Firefox. Play with the controls of the simulation to get used to the controls. You should be able to accomplish the following: Place bricks or other objects at various locations on the see-saw. Use a ruler to measure the location of the bricks from the pivot point. Remove the supports and observe whether the objects are balanced. Display various quantities, including a level indicator. Part A: Theory review Show Mass Labels Forces from Objects Level Position O Marks Bricks 21.75 1.5 125 1 0.75 05 05 Meters bas as 0.75 1 125 15 1.75 2 Meters 15kg 20kg We have an intuitive sense of how balance works, but we can also quantify it. For an extended object to be in equilibrium, it has to meet the conditions: Fx = 0 , =0 = In other words, the sum of forces in any direction on the object must be equal to 0, and the net torque about any point on the object must be 0. Torque applied about the pivot point is defined as T = Frsin Q where F is the force applied, r is the distance away from the pivot point, and of is the angle between the force and a line from the pivot point to the point where the force acts. Remember that torque also has direction: it is defined as positive for a force that would rotate the object counterclockwise about the pivot point, and negative for a force that would rotate the object clockwise about the pivot point. 1. In this simulation, a see-saw system consists of a plank that is supported at a pivot point. Objects may be placed on the plank. a. What direction is the force exerted on the horizontal plank by any object placed on it? b. What direction is the force exerted on the plank by the supporting pivot? c. What is the angle of between the force exerted on a horizontal plank by an object and the line connecting the object to the pivot point? Explain. d. What is sin(Q)? Part B: Balancing two objects Questions 2-6 are based on the following scenario: A 5 kg brick is placed 2.0 m mark to the left of the seesaw pivot, and a 10 kg brick is placed at some location to the right of the pivot that enables the see- saw to remain balanced (horizontal) without supports. 2. On the figure below, draw dots representing the bricks and arrows representing each force acting on the plank. The direction and relative length of the arrows should be correct, while the locations of each arrow can be approximate. Label each force arrow and write a separate description of what causes each force. (You should have three forces.) 3. Explain how you can determine the magnitude of the force exerted by the support on the pivot point. Why doesn't your answer depend on the position of the 10kg brick? 4. (a) For each force that you identified in question 2, write an expression that lets you calculate the torque about the pivot point. You can obtain a value for two of these torques; for the third one, you will have an unknown variable. Label each torque clearly. (b) Choose an appropriate symbol for the unknown variable and explain what it represents. 5. If the see-saw plank is to remain horizontal, the net torque on it must be zero. Write an equation that says this, making use of your expressions in question 4, and solve it for the unknown variable. Show your calculations, with units, in the space below.
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