UIC: PHYS105

8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

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 UIC: PHYS105
8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

In which of the static cases shown below is the tension in the

supporting wire bigger? In both cases M is the same, and the blue
strut is massless.
(A) Case 1
T1
(B) Case 2 T2
300 300
(C) The same in both cases
(D) Not enough information L
M M L/2
Case 1 Case 2

Answer:

Case 1:  sin 

Case 2:  sin  , i.e. the same.

#1     1 min
 UIC: PHYS105
8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

In which of the static cases shown below is the tension in the

supporting wire bigger? In both cases the red strut has the same mass
and length.
(A) Case 1
(B) Case 2
(C) The same in both cases
(D) Not enough information

Answer:
The torque caused by gravity is equal to the torque caused by the tension. Since in
Case 1, the lever arm is longer, the force does not need to be as long to equalize the
torque caused by gravity.

#2     1 min
 UIC: PHYS105
8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

In the two cases shown below identical ladders are leaning against
frictionless walls. In which case is the force of friction between the
ladder and the ground the biggest?
(A) Case 1
Case 1                      Case 2
(B) Case 2
L
(C) The same in both cases h
(D) Not enough information


Answer:
cos (see lecture notes)
When the angle between the ladder and the ground is big, as in case 2, the normal
force the wall exerts on the ladder is smaller. Because the frictional force must be
equal to that force, it is also smaller. So, Case 1 has a greater frictional force
because the ladder in Case 1 puts more of a force on the wall than the
ladder in Case 2.
#3     30 s
 UIC: PHYS105
8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

Two springs, are linked together and pulled from opposite ends
by equal tension forces T. The spring constants are NOT the
same: k1 >> k2. The system is at rest. How do the forces that the
springs exert on each other?
(A) They are equal but not equal to T
(B) They are equal and equal to T
(C) Spring 1 exerts a larger force on spring 2, than 2 does on 1
(D) Spring 2 exerts a larger force on spring 1, than 1 does on 2
(E) Something else
T T

k1 (large) k2 (small)
Answer:
The system is at rest  the net force at contact point between two springs is equal
to zero  , , | |

#4     30 s
 UIC: PHYS105
8 Equilibrium and Elasticity

A stiff board is placed on two cylindrical supports, made of different

material and initially of equal length, with one support at the left end
and the other at the right as shown below. As a result the board is a
perfectly horizontal. If the radius of the first support is twice the radius
of the second,
(A) 2
1                                                                 2
(B)
(C) 4
(D)
where and are Young’s moduli of the first and second support,
respectively.

Answer:
to keep the board horizontal, both supports must be contracted by the same amount
∆L  ∆ where =  = or

So,
#5     1 min