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