A 600-N tightrope walker stands at the center of the rope such that each half of the rope makes an angle of 20.0° with the horizontal.What is the tension in the rope?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tension in the rope is equal to the weight of the tightrope walker divided by the sine of the angle that the rope makes with the horizontal. In this case, the weight of the tightrope walker is 600 N and the angle that the rope makes with the horizontal is 20.0°. Therefore, the tension in the rope is 600 N / sin(20.0°) = 880 N.

A 600-N Tightrope Walker Stands at the Center of the Rope