Question

g A 39.0-kilogram child sits on a uniform seesaw of negligible mass; she is 2.60 m from the pivot point (or fulcrum). How far from the pivot point on the other side will her 22.0-kilogram playmate have to sit for the seesaw to be in equilibrium?

Answer 1

Answer:

4.6091 meters

Explanation:

In this problem, to have equilibrium in the seesaw, we need the torque from one child to compensate the torque from the other child.

The torque is calculated by making the product of the mass and the distance to the pivot point.

So, the torque generated by the first child (T1) is equal to:

T1 = m1 * d1 = 39 * 2.6 = 101.4 Nm

To make equilibrium, we need the second child to generate the same torque (T2), so:

T2 = m2 * d2 = 22 * d2 = 101.4

d2 = 101.4 / 22 =  4.6091 m

The second child need to be at 4.6091 meters from the pivot point to be in equilibrium.