Two equal-magnitude forces are exerted to a door at the doorknob.The first force is exerted perpendicular to the door,and the second force is exerted at 30° to the plane of the door.Which force exerts the greater torque about the door hinge?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first force exerts a greater torque because torque is maximized when the force is applied perpendicular to the lever arm (in this case, the door), as torque is calculated by the product of the force magnitude and the lever arm length times the sine of the angle between the force direction and the lever arm. The sine of 90° (perpendicular) is 1, resulting in maximum torque, whereas the sine of 30° is less than 1, resulting in less torque.

Two Equal-Magnitude Forces Are Exerted to a Door at the Doorknob.The