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heatherwebb
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Homework Statement
1. If a man weighing 800 Newtons is standing on a uniform beam an unknown distance from the supports. The beam is of length 5m and weighs 225 Newtons, and one support is positioned at the left end of the beam, the other is placed 1m from the left end and is exerting 600 Newtons up upon the beam. (http://heatherwebb.com/rotationalequilibriumdiagram.jpg - I did the parts in red)
a) Draw the free body diagram on the given picture, show all forces, known and unknown, along with all distances.
b) If the beam is in equilibrium, what distance is the man standing from the left support?
Homework Equations
Torque (left support) = Torque (man)
The Attempt at a Solution
Here is the diagram and what I've done to it, http://heatherwebb.com/rotationalequilibriumdiagram.jpg .
I know that the pivot exerts a force of 600N. Isn't that the normal force? Shouldn't I use that and the two known forces to determine the force at the left-most support? Then use that in the Torque equation?
It's not making sense to me because the force of the left-most support comes out to be negative.
The Attempt at a Solution
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