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Homework Statement
A team of Mexican acrobats are developing a new act. Four see-saws are arranged in a square so that the ends of the see-saws overlap as shown in the plan view below. Each member of the team has a mass of exactly 50kg.
(a) Calculate the contact forces between the see-saws when the acrobats, under the sombreros are positioned as shown in the digram - {linked}
(b) What will happen if one member of the team over-eats and becomes heavier than the three others?
Can the other three acrobats position themselves such that the system is balanced?
Homework Equations
[tex]\sum{V_{forces}}=0[/tex]
[tex]\sum{M_{pivotPoint}}=0[/tex]
The Attempt at a Solution
[/B]
[tex]R_A=\text{ Force exerted on see-saw in question on the left}[/tex]
[tex] R_B=\text{ Force exerted on see-saw in question on the right}[/tex]
[tex] N=\text{ The reaction force due to the fulcrum in the middle of the see-saw}[/tex]
[tex] L =\text{ The length of the see-saw}[/tex]
[tex]\sum{M_{Fulcrum}} =+R_A*L/2 - 50*g*L/3 +R_B*L/2[/tex]
This is just for one of the four see-saws. For part (a) I suppose each see-saw should be the same. Is this right? Or do I have to include the forces the see-saw in question exerts on the other see-saws?
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