http://quark.physics.uwo.ca/~harwood/public_html/phys2/torque_sample.

doc

March 29, 2005

Solutions are/were in hidden text.

TORQUE SAMPLE PROBLEMS 1. A bike pedal is 45 cm from the axle. How much torque does a 90 lb girl standing on the pedal exert when (i) it is horizontal? (ii) it is at its lowest point? Solution: (i) = rF 90 lb = 90 2.2 kg = 40.9 kg

= 40.9 kg * 9.8 N/kg F = 401 N

= 0.45m 401 N = 180 Nm (ii) = 0. The force is in the same direction as r. no twisting motion. 2. Find the unknown mass needed to balance the mobile.

5cm

20 cm

40 cm

50 cm

5 cm

m1 = ?

mblock= 150g

m2 = 400g

m3 = 100g

Solution: Block is 120 cm long. Mid point is 60 cm from one end. Midpoint is 35 cm to the right of the supporting string. = 0. 1 + bl + 2 + 3 = 0 Since all of the forces are masses multiplied by g and we dont need to find a number for the total torque (we assume that it is zero), we can divide out the g. .: m1r1 + mblrbl + m2r2 + m3r3 = 0 m1(-20cm) + (150g)(+35cm) + (400g)(+40 cm) + (100g)(+90 cm) = 0 m1 = 1510 g

3. A 400 kg beam must be secured as in the diagram. A cable that can hold 1000N before snapping is tied to one end of the 4 m beam. The cable makes a 50 angle with the beam. (a) how much mass must be placed at location A to just balance the beam? A is 0.1 m from the left end of the beam. (b) what is the maximum amount of mass that can be placed at A before the beam tips in the other direction?
0.5m 0.5m

Solution: (a) The beam wants to pivot about point C. There are three torques: from mass at A, from rope, and from the mass of the beam. Find distances from each force to point C: rA = 0.9 m rrope = 1.0 m rbeam = +1.0 m (the beam is 4 m long, c.m. is at 2m this is 1.0 m from point C.) Find forces: FA = ? Frope = 1000N sin500 Fbeam = mbeam * g = 766 N = 400kg 9.8N/kg = 3920N Since it is balanced = 0.

A + rope + beam = 0 rAFgA + rropeFrope + rbeamFbeam = 0

(-0.9m)FgA + (-1.0m)(766N) + (1.0m)(3920N) = 0 FA = 3504 N FA = mAg mA = 358 kg <this does seem quite large! check answer>

XAMPLE PROBLEM ON TORQUE: The Swinging Door

Question In a hurry to catch a cab, you rush through a frictionless swinging door and onto the sidewalk. The force you extered on the door was 50N, applied perpendicular to the plane of the door. The door is 1.0m wide. Assuming that you pushed the door at its edge, what was the torque on the swinging door (taking the hinge as the pivot point)? Hints

1. Where is the pivot point? 2. What was the force applied? 3. How far from the pivot point was the force applied? 4. What was the angle between the door and the direction of force? Solution The pivot point is at the hinges of the door, opposite to where you were pushing the door. The force you used was 50N, at a distance 1.0m from the pivot point. You hit the door perpendicular to its plane, so the angle between the door and the direction of force was 90 degrees. Since Figure 1 Diagram of Example Problem 1 = r x F = r F sin( ) then the torque on the door was: = (1.0m) (50N) sin(90) = 50 N m Note that this is only the magnitude of the torque; to complete the answer, we need to find the direction of torque. Using the right hand rule, we see that the direction of torque is out of the screen.

TORQUE WITH EXAMPLES TORQUE We define torque as the capability of rotating objects around a fixed axis. In other words, it is the multiplication of force and the shortest distance between application point of force and the fixed axis. From the definition, you can also infer that, torque is a vector quantity both having direction and magnitude. However, since it is rotating around a fixed axis its direction can be clockwise or counterclockwise. During the explanations and examples we give the direction + if it rotates clockwise direction and - if it rotates counterclockwise direction. Torque is shown in physics with the symbol . You can come across torque with other name moment. Now, we examine given pictures one by one to understand torque in detail. How can we find the shortest distance between the applied force and fixed axis? All you know that, shortest distance between two points is the straight line connecting them. In this situation distance connecting these two points is the length of the object. Direction of the torque is + because force rotates the object in clockwise direction. (We ignore the weight of the object n all situations given above.) Thus, we can write the torque equation like;

=Applied

Force.Distance

In this picture, we have a different situation where the object is fixed to the wall with an angle to the horizontal. Direction of the torque in this situation is - because force rotates the

object in counterclockwise direction. As we said before we need shortest distance between the force and turning point. Dashed line in the picture shows this distance which can be found by using trigonometry and final equation of torque becomes;

=Applied

Force.Distance.sin
Final situation shows that, if the extension of the force is passing on the rotation axis then what would be the torque? I want to explain this situation by giving other

example. Think that you are opening a door. If you push the door as in the case of given picture above, the door does not move. However, if you apply a force to the door like in the first and second situations given above the door is opened or closed. What I try to say is, if the force is applied to the turning point then it does not rotate the object and there wont be torque. Example: If the given triangle plate is fixed from the point O and can rotate around this point, find the total torque applied by the given forces.

Example: If the plate is fixed from the point O, find the net torque of the given forces.