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4.7
Tension
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balance the sum of two forces down the incline: the frictional force (m k mg cos q) and the component of the gravitational force down the incline (mg sin q ). This balance
of forces is shown graphically in the FBD (Fig. 4.28b).
PHYSICS AT HOME
To estimate the coefficient of static friction between a penny and the cover of your
physics book, place the penny on the book and slowly lift the cover. Note the angle
of the cover when the penny starts to slide. Explain how you can use this angle to
find the coefficient of static friction. Can you devise an experiment to find the coefficient of kinetic friction?
4.7
TENSION
Consider a heavy chandelier hanging by a chain from the ceiling (Fig. 4.29a). The chandelier is in equilibrium, so the upward force on it due to the chain is equal in magnitude
to the chandeliers weight. With what force does the chain pull downward on the
ceiling? The ceiling has to pull up with a force equal to the total weight of the chain and
the chandelier. The interaction partner of this forcethe force the chain exerts on the
ceilingis equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Therefore, if the weight of the
chain is negligibly small compared to the weight of the chandelier, then the chain exerts
forces of equal magnitude at its two ends. The forces at the ends would not be equal,
however, if you grabbed the chain in the middle and pulled it up or down or if we could
not neglect the weight of the chain. We can generalize this observation:
An ideal cord (or rope, string, tendon, cable, or chain) pulls in the direction of the cord
with forces of equal magnitude on the objects attached to its ends as long as no external
force is exerted on it anywhere between the ends. An ideal cord has zero mass and zero
weight.
Force on ceiling
due to chain
Force on chandelier
due to chain
Force pulling up
on top of link
Force pulling down
on bottom of link
(a)
(b)
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A single link of the chain (Fig. 4.29b) is pulled at both ends by the neighboring
links. The magnitude of these forces is called the tension in the chain. Similarly, a little
segment of a cord is pulled at both its ends by the tension in the neighboring pieces of
the cord. If the segment is in equilibrium, then the net force acting on it is zero. As long
as there are no other forces exerted on the segment, the forces exerted by its neighbors
must be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Therefore, the tension has the
same value everywhere and is equal to the force that the cord exerts on the objects
attached to its ends.
Example 4.11
Archery Practice
y
T
Fa
72 cm
y
T
(a)
Fa
35 cm
(b)
x
(c)
Figure 4.31
(a) Free-body diagram for a point on the bowstring with the
magnitudes of the forces labeled. (b) Graphical addition of the
three forces showing that the sum is zero. (c) The angle q is
used to find the x- and y-components of the forces exerted at
each end of the bowstring.
Fx = 2T sin q + Fa = 0
Solving for T,
Fa
162 N
T =
= = 170 N
2 sin q 2 0.486
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4.7
Tension
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6.00 m
Eyebolt
0.12 m
250 N
Figure 4.32
Tightrope for balancing practice.
tendon
muscle
tendon
joint
Figure 4.33 A muscle contracts, increasing the tension in the attached tendons. The tendons exert forces on two different bones.
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PHYSICS AT HOME
Sit with your arm bent at the elbow with a heavy object on the palm of your hand.
You can feel the contraction of the biceps muscle. With your other hand, feel the
tendon that connects the biceps muscle to your forearm.
Now place your hand palm down on the desktop and push down. Now it is the
triceps muscle that contracts, pulling up on the bone on the other side of the elbow
joint. Muscles and tendons cannot push; they can only pull.The biceps muscle cannot
push the forearm downward, but the triceps muscle can pull on the other side of
the joint. In both cases, the arm acts as a lever.
Ideal Pulleys
A pulley can change the direction of the force exerted by a cord under tension. To lift
something heavy, it is easier to stand on the ground and pull down on the rope than to
get above the weight on a platform and pull up on the rope (Fig. 4.34).
An ideal pulley has no mass and no friction. An ideal pulley exerts no forces on the
cord that are tangent to the cordit is not pulling in either direction along the cord. As
a result, the tension of an ideal cord that runs through an ideal pulley is the same on both
sides of the pulley. An ideal pulley changes the direction of the force exerted by a cord
without changing its magnitude. As long as a real pulley has a small mass and negligible amount of friction, we can approximate it as an ideal pulley.
Example 4.12
A Two-Pulley System
A 1804-N engine is hauled upward at constant speed
(Fig. 4.35). What are the
tensions in the three ropes
labeled A, B, and C?
B
Assume the ropes and the
pulleys labeled L and R are
Pulley R
ideal.
C
Pulley L
1804 N
Figure 4.35
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4.8
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C
Pulley L
A
1804 N
TA
TC
TC
TB
Pulley L
(a)
Pulley R
TA
(b)
Pulley R
TC
TC
(c)
TC = 2TA = 902.0 N
Figure 4.36c is the FBD for pulley R. Rope B pulls
upward on it with a force of magnitude TB. On each side
of the pulley, rope C pulls downward. For the net force to
equal zero,
TB = 2TC = 1804 N
Figure 4.36
(a) Free-body diagram for the engine. (b) Free-body diagram
for pulley L and (c) free-body diagram for pulley R.
4.8
We can now apply Newtons second law to a great variety of situations involving the
forces we have encountered so fargravity, contact forces, and tension. The following
steps are helpful in most problems that involve Newtons second law.
Problem-Solving Strategy for Newtons Second Law
Decide what objects will have Newtons second law applied to them.
Identify all the external forces acting on that object.
Draw a free-body diagram to show all the forces acting on the object.
Choose a coordinate system. If the direction of the net force is known, choose
axes so that the net force (and the acceleration) are along one of the axes.
Find the net force by adding the forces as vectors.
Use Newtons second law to relate the net force to the acceleration.
Relate the acceleration to the change in the velocity vector during a time interval
of interest.