Seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope

In summary, the conversation discusses a seesaw with a man on one end and a beam attached to the other end. When the fan is off, the seesaw stays balanced. However, when the fan is turned on, the seesaw can potentially flip to the right side, depending on the strength of the fan's thrust. The conversation also explores the role of the joint in transferring moments and forces, and how the placement of the joint and pivot can affect the stability of the seesaw.
  • #1
John Mcrain
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Men is at seesaw , connected with rope to beam which is conected to seesaw with joint,when fan is off ,seesaw is stay at brawn box.
When you turn ON fan,man and beam are in balance,can seesaw flip to right side?
(If beam is conect with fixed conect to seesaw then for sure it will flip to right side if fan thrust is enough...)
seesaw.jpg

same question for this case,just joint from beam is at left side from seesaw pivot point..
sesaw 2.jpg

If answer is yes...
To make seesaw flip to right side ,we must have some moment,but how we can transfer moment caused by fan if joint can't transfer moment only forces?
 
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  • #2
John Mcrain said:
man and beam are in balance,
This requires a moment balance at both: the man's heel and the joint. What does this imply for the moments by the man's gravity and the fan around the pivot?
 
  • #3
A.T. said:
This requires a moment balance at both: the man's heel and the joint. What does this imply for the moments by the man's gravity and the fan around the pivot?
Man and beam is in balance mean that angle between man feet and seesaw and angle between beam where is fan and seesaw don't change,once when fan is turn ON.

let imagine like this; in initial position (fan turn off) seesaw is in balance.
What will happened with seesaw when turn ON fan?
 
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  • #6
John Mcrain said:
Men is at seesaw , connected with rope to beam which is conected to seesaw with joint,when fan is off ,seesaw is stay at brawn box.
When you turn ON fan,man and beam are in balance,can seesaw flip to right side?
(If beam is conect with fixed conect to seesaw then for sure it will flip to right side if fan thrust is enough...)
...
If answer is yes...
To make seesaw flip to right side ,we must have some moment,but how we can transfer moment caused by fan if joint can't transfer moment only forces?
If fan develops enough thrust, a moment will reach the man and the beam and everything that is solidly connected will flip.
The moment can't go from the beam to the ground because the pivot is unable to transfer it.

The pivot can transfer the thust force to the ground.
That induces a reaction force from the pivot that prevents the beam from sliding to the right and makes the flipping possible.

Same happens with the pivot that the braking wheels of taildragger airplanes are:
Please, see:
https://www.sandiegoskytours.com/flyers-blog/2018/7/16/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-the-ugly
 
  • #7
Lnewqban said:
If fan develops enough thrust, a moment will reach the man and the beam and everything that is solidly connected will flip.
But they are not solidly connected The system has two internal joints (man's heel & fan mast base) that must be stabilized. ´With the heel placed as shown in the image (left of the pivot), the man cannot stabilize the fan mast base, if the fan thrust is large enough to flip the whole thing.
 
  • #8
A.T. said:
But they are not solidly connected The system has two internal joints (man's heel & fan mast base) that must be stabilized. ´With the heel placed as shown in the image (left of the pivot), the man cannot stabilize the fan mast base, if the fan thrust is large enough to flip the whole thing.
Yes, your statement is correct and mine was not.

To OP:
Please disregard my previous post as I was mistakenly referring to the ground-beam pivot, as well as assuming that the man could hold mast in perpendicular position respect to beam while increasing fan thrust.
 
  • #9
John Mcrain said:
... I don't get it how pitching moment can be done through joint?
The mast, the rope, the man's body and the beam form a planar four-bar linkage.
Please, see:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-bar_linkage

The thust force of the fan can't make the mast rotate around its pivot to the beam only because the clock-wise moment that fan and mast induce is exactly compensated by the counter-clockwise moment that the weight of man and feet-to-mast distance induce (as per your original post).

As you relocate the ground-to-beam pivot towards the right, the magnitude of the clockwise moment remains the same, but the magnitude of the counter-clockwise moment increases, as the feet-to-ground pivot increases.

While the above happens, our four-link linkage remains stable because its balance of moments about the mast-to-beam pivot remains the same.
 

FAQ: Seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope

What is the seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope?

The seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope is a physics thought experiment that involves a man sitting on one end of a seesaw and a fan attached to the other end by a rope. The man's weight and the fan's rotation create a complex system of forces that can be analyzed and understood using principles of physics.

How does the man's weight affect the seesaw problem?

The man's weight is a crucial factor in the seesaw problem. The heavier the man is, the more force he exerts on the seesaw, causing it to tilt towards his end. This force also affects the rotation of the fan, as it is connected to the seesaw by a rope.

What role does the fan play in the seesaw problem?

The fan is attached to the seesaw by a rope, which means it is also affected by the man's weight and the seesaw's movement. As the seesaw tilts towards the man, the fan's rotation will change, creating a counterbalancing force that can affect the seesaw's movement.

How does the rope connecting the man to the fan impact the seesaw problem?

The rope connecting the man to the fan is what allows the two objects to interact and create a complex system of forces. The rope's tension and the way it is attached to the seesaw and the fan can affect the seesaw's movement and the fan's rotation.

What can the seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope teach us about physics?

The seesaw problem with a man connected to a fan by a rope is a great example of how different forces can interact and affect each other in a complex system. It can teach us about concepts such as weight, force, torque, and how objects in motion can influence each other. It also demonstrates the importance of considering all factors and variables when analyzing a physical system.

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