Problem Set 12: Equilibrium

AP Physics C Supplementary Problems

1. A rope, assumed massless, is stretched horizontally between two supports that are
3.44 m apart. When an object of weight 3160 N is hung at the center of the rope,
the rope is observed to sag by 35 cm. Calculate the tension in the rope.

2. The system below is in equilibrium, but it begins to slip if any additional mass is
added to the 5.0 kg object. Calculate the coefficient of static friction between the
10 kg block and the plane on which it rests.

30o
10 kg

5 kg

3. An automobile (mass = 1360 kg) has a wheelbase of 305 cm. Its center of gravity
is located 178 cm behind the front axle. Determine (a) the force exerted on each
of the front wheels (assumed the same) and (b) the force exerted on each of the
back wheels (assumed the same) by the level ground.

4. A diver of weight 580 N stands at the end of a 4.5 m diving board of negligible
weight. The board is attached by two pedestals 1.5 m apart, as shown below.
Find the tension (or compression) in each of the two pedestals.

4.5 m

1.5 m

Problems selected from Halliday, D., & Resnick, R. (1993). Fundamentals of Physics (4th ed.). New
York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Equilibrium 2

5. Two identical uniform smooth spheres, each of weight W, rest as shown below at
the bottom of a fixed, rectangular container. Find, in terms of W, the forces
acting on the spheres by (a) the container surfaces and (b) by one another, if the
line of centers of the spheres makes an angle of 45o with the horizontal.

45o

6. The system below is in equilibrium with the string in the center exactly
horizontal. Find (a) the angle θ and (b) the tension in each string.

θ
T1 35o T3

T2

40 N
50 N

7. A 50 kg uniform square sign, 2.0 m on a side, is hung from a 3.0 m rod of

negligible mass. A cable is attached to the end of the rod and to a point on the
wall 4.0 m above the point where the rod is fixed to the wall, as shown below. (a)
Calculate the tension in the cable. (b) Calculate the horizontal and vertical
components of the force exerted by the wall on the rod.

cable
4.0 m

rod

hinge

2.0 m

2.0 m

3.0 m
Equilibrium 3

8. Forces F1, F2, and F3 act on the structure below as shown. We wish to put the
structure in equilibrium by applying a force, at a point such as P, whose vector
components are Fh and Fv. We are given that a = 2.0 m, b = 3.0 m, c = 1.0 m, F1 =
20 N, F2 = 10 N, and F3 = 5.0 N. Calculate (a) Fh, (b) Fv, and (c) d.

F1 F2

c b a

O P Fh

d
Fv a

F3

9. One end of a uniform beam weighing 50 N and 3.0 m long is attached to a wall
with a hinge. The other end is supported by a wire, as shown below. (a)
Calculate the tension in the wire. (b) Calculate the horizontal and vertical
components of the force of the hinge.

30o

30o
Equilibrium 4

10. A nonuniform bar of weight W is suspended at rest in a horizontal position by two

light cords as shown below. The angle one cord makes with the vertical is θ =
36.9o; the other makes the angle φ = 53.1o with the vertical. If the length L of the
bar is 6.1 m, compute the distance x from the left-hand end to the center of
gravity.

φ
θ
L

x
W

11. In the figure below, the length of the bar is 3.0 m and its weight is 200 N. Also,
W = 300 N and θ = 30o. The wire can withstand a maximum tension of 500 N.
(a) Calculate the maximum distance x possible before the wire breaks. (b) With
W placed at this maximum x, calculate the horizontal and vertical components of
the force exerted on the bar by the pin.

x
W
θ
pin
L

12. A 100 N. plank, of length L = 2.0 m, rests on the ground and on a frictionless roller
at the top of a wall of height h = 1.0 m. The center of gravity of the plank is at its
center. The plank remains in equilibrium for any value of θ ≥ 70o but slips if θ <
70o. Find the coefficient of static friction between the plank and the ground.

L roller

h
θ
Equilibrium 5

Answers:
1. 7925 N
2. 0.29
3. a) 2775 N each b) 3889 N each
4. 1740 N; 1160 N
5. a) 2W (bottom); W (each side)
o
b) ( )
2W
6. a) 29.2 b) T1 = 48.8 N; T2 = 28.0 N; T3 = 57.4 N
7. a) 409 N b) Fh = 246 N; Fv = 163.4 N
8. a) 30 N b) 5.0 N c) 1.33 m
9. a) 43.3 N b) Fh = 21.7 N; Fv = 12.5 N
10. 2.2 m
11. a) 1.5 m b) Fv = 250 N; Fh = 433 N
12. 0.34