A steel cable is tightly tied (horizontally) to two trees that are 10 meters apart. A child hangs from the center of the cable, causing the center of the cable to be 2 cm below the original location (before the child grabbed the cable). The tension in the cable is 70,000 N. The mass of the child is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tension in the cable creates a triangle with the horizontal distance and the sag. Using trigonometry and the tension, we can calculate the weight of the child. The vertical component of the tension equals the weight of the child. Solving for the child's mass gives approximately 57 kg.

A Steel Cable Is Tightly Tied (Horizontally) to Two Trees