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M1 moments question help please!

Can anyone help me? got M1 exam in few hours! i'm stuck on part b) because i don't understand why u can't resolve the forces to find the tension, instead you have to take moments about a point? can anyone explain to me why you can't resolve the forces please?

Thanx

A _o____|__|________o_ B

C -------^ ^-------- D

A heavy uniform steel girder AB has length 10m. A load of weight 150N is attached to the girder at A and a load of weight 250N is attached to the girder at B. The loaded girder hangs in equilibrium in a horizontal position, held by two vertical steel cables attached to the girder at the point C and D, where AC=1m and DB=3m. The girder is modelled as a uniform rod, the loads as particles and the cables as light inextensible strings. The tension in the cable at D is three times the tension in the cable at C.

a) Draw a diagram showing all the forces acting on the girder.
b) Find the tension in the cable at C
c) Find the weight of the girder
Reply 1
b_tse
Can anyone help me? got M1 exam in few hours! i'm stuck on part b) because i don't understand why u can't resolve the forces to find the tension, instead you have to take moments about a point? can anyone explain to me why you can't resolve the forces please?

Thanx

A _o____|__|________o_ B

C -------^ ^-------- D

A heavy uniform steel girder AB has length 10m. A load of weight 150N is attached to the girder at A and a load of weight 250N is attached to the girder at B. The loaded girder hangs in equilibrium in a horizontal position, held by two vertical steel cables attached to the girder at the point C and D, where AC=1m and DB=3m. The girder is modelled as a uniform rod, the loads as particles and the cables as light inextensible strings. The tension in the cable at D is three times the tension in the cable at C.

a) Draw a diagram showing all the forces acting on the girder.
b) Find the tension in the cable at C
c) Find the weight of the girder


You have 2 unknowns: W and T1 (with T2 = 3T1) so you need 2 equations to find their value. You can resolve vertically, but will only get as far as expressing W in terms of T1.
Reply 2
Oh right! i can see where i went wrong now, i miss read the description and thought the weight of girder was 150N! thanx aitch