A particle P is attached to one end of a light inextensible string - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Mechanics - Question 1 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 1
A particle P is attached to one end of a light inextensible string. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point O. A horizontal force of magnitude 12 N ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A particle P is attached to one end of a light inextensible string - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Mechanics - Question 1 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
Find (a) the tension in the string.
96%
114 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
To find the tension in the string, we can analyze the forces acting on the particle P in equilibrium. The horizontal force applied is 12 N, and we can use the sine component of the tension T:
Timesextsin(20°)=12
Rearranging this gives us:
\approx 35.1 ext{ N} $$
Thus, the tension in the string is approximately 35 N.
Step 2
Find (b) the weight of P.
99%
104 rated
Only available for registered users.
Sign up now to view full answer, or log in if you already have an account!
Answer
The weight of the particle P can be determined using the cosine component of the tension:
W=Timesextcos(20°)
Substituting our earlier expression for T:
\approx 33.0 ext{ N} $$
Hence, the weight of the particle P is approximately 33 N.
