A particle of weight 24 N is held in equilibrium by two light inextensible strings - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Mechanics - Question 1 - 2007 - Paper 1

To find the value of P, we first examine the vertical forces acting on the particle. The weight of the particle is given as 24 N. The vertical component of the tension P can be expressed as:

$P imes ext{sin}(30°)$

In equilibrium, the total vertical forces must balance the weight of the particle. Thus, we can set up the equation:

$P imes ext{sin}(30°) = 24$

Now substituting the known value of sin(30°), which is 0.5:

$P imes 0.5 = 24$

Solving for P gives:

$P = \frac{24}{0.5} = 48.$