Chapter 5 – Torque

1. A rope is wound around a shaft 10.0 cm in diameter. If a pull of 500 N is exerted on the rope, what
torque is imparted to the shaft?
2. A bar 2.0 m long makes an angle of 30 o with the horizontal. A vertical force of 40 N is applied 0.4 m
from the upper end. Calculate the torque due to this force about each end.
Ans. 55 m.N, 14 m.N
3. A uniform board 20.0 cm x 10.0 cm has a mass of 200 g. Masses of 50.0 and 80.0 g are attached at
two corners at the ends of one of the longer sides. Locate the center of gravity.
4. A rigid rod resting on a fulcrum has the following 20-lb forces acting on it. A is attached 2 ft to the
left of the fulcrum acting vertically upward; B is 4 ft to the left of the fulcrum, acting 30 oS of E; C is 6
ft to the left of the fulcrum, acting 45 oN of E; D is attached 2 ft to the right of the fulcrum, acting
60oN of W; E is acting vertically downward; 4 ft to the right of the fulcrum and acting 50 oN of W. Is
the system in equilibrium? If not, where can a 20-lb force be placed to put it in equilibrium?
Ans. No; 1.9 ft to cause a clockwise moment.
5. A uniform steel rod with a linear mass of 2 g/m is bent in the shape of a letter F. The vertical rod is 2
m long, the cap is 1 m long, and the smaller arm, attached 1.5 m from the bottom, is 0.5 m long. Find
the center of mass of the object.
6. A letter E has the following dimensions: its base is 3 ft long, the middle arm is 1 ft long, and the cap
is 2 ft long. The vertical arm is 4 ft long and the middle arm is attached 1 ft from the top. If the linear
weight is 20 lb per linear foot, find the center of mass.
Ans. 0.7 ft to the right of vertical arm; 1.9 ft above the base.
7. A uniform sheet of metal 6 ft square weighs 50 lb. If the following weights are hung on each corner
of the square in a consecutive manner: 20 lb at A, 60 lb at B, 80 lb at C, and 40 lb at D, find the
center of gravity of the system.
8. The legs of a wheelbarrow are 3.0 horizontal ft from the axle. When the wheelbarrow is unloaded, a
force of 12 lb applied to the handles 4.0 horizontal from the axle is needed to raise the legs from the
ground. If a 120-lb box is placed in the wheelbarrow with its center of gravity 1.5 ft from the axle,
what force must be applied to the handles to raise the legs from the ground?
Ans. 57 lb.
9. A painter stands on a horizontal uniform scaffold hung by its ends from two vertical ropes A and B, 6
m apart. The scaffold weighs 200 N. The tension in A is 750 N and that in B is 250 N. (a) What is the
weight of the painter? (b) How far from A is he standing?
10. A uniform pole 20 ft long and weighing 80 lb is supported by a boy 2.0 ft from end A and a man 5.0 ft
from end B. At what point should a load of 100 lb be placed so that the man will support twice as
much as the boy?
Ans. 8.8 ft from B.
11. A uniform 30-lb beam 10 ft long is carried by two men A and B, one at each end of the beam. (a) If A
exerts a force of 25 lb, where must a load of 50 lb be placed on the beam? (b) What force does B
exert?
12. A bricklayer who weighs 200 lb stands 4.0 ft from one end of a uniform 20-ft scaffold. A 60-lb pile of
bricks has its center of gravity 7.0 ft from the same end. The scaffold weighs 90 lb. If the scaffold is
supported at the two ends, find the force on each support.
Ans. 106 lb, 244 lb.

1
Chapter 5 – Torque

13. A nonuniform bar weighs 400 N and is 4 m long. When it is supported by a fulcrum at tis midpoint, a
load of 80 N must be supplied at the small end to hold the bar in a horizontal position. Where is the
center of gravity?
14. A crane boom weighs 200 lb and which is 10 ft long is supported so that it makes an angle of 50 o
with the supporting wall and so that the rope makes an angle of 70 o with the wall. If a load of 700 lb
is hung on the end of the boom, what tension occurs in the rope and what thrust does the support
exert on the lower end of the boom?
Ans. Tension = 707 lb; thrust = 930 lb, 45 oN of E.
15. The boom of a wall crane 4 m long is held at right angles to the wall by a tie that is attached to the
wall 3.0 m above the foot of the boom. If the load lifted is 4.5 x 10 4 N, find the tension in the tie and
the compressional force in the boom. Neglect the weight of the boom.
16. A crane boom 30 ft long, weighing 200 lb, and having its center of gravity 10 ft from the bottom is
hinged at the lower end and makes an angle of 30 o with the vertical. It is held in position by a
horizontal cable fastened at the upper end. The boom supports a 1,000-lb load at its upper end. Find
the tension in the cable, the horizontal and vertical components of the thrust at the hinge, and the
resultant thrust there.
Ans. 620 lb; 620 lb; 1200 lb; 1300 lb, 63 o above the horizontal.
17. A uniform ladder 8 m long and weighing 350 N rests against a smooth vertical wall at an angle of 30 o
to the wall. A 700-N man stands 6 m up from the bottom of the ladder. Find the horizontal force
necessary at the base to keep the ladder from slipping.
18. A uniform ladder 20.0 ft long weighing 30.0 lb rests on horizontal ground and leans at an angle of
60o with the horizontal against a smooth vertical wall. How far up the ladder may a 160-lb man go
before the ladder slips if the coefficient of friction between ladder and ground is 0.433.
Ans. 15.9 ft
19. A 150-lb man is able to climb up 15 ft on a 20-ft ladder before it slips. What must the coefficient of
friction be if the ladder is arranged so that its base makes an angle of 50 o with the ground? Assume
the ladder to be uniform and weighing 100 lb.
20. A stone having a mass of 10 kg is supported in the middle of a rope, which makes an angle of 150 o at
its point of contact with the stone. Find the tension in the rope.
Ans. 190 N
21. A uniform rod 30 ft long and weighing 200 lb is pivoted at its upper end. It is drawn aside so that it
makes an angle of 60o with the vertical by means of a rope fastened at the lower end and making an
angle of 90o with the rod. Find (a) the tension in the rope, (b) the horizontal force at the pivot, (c)
the vertical force at the pivot and (d) the resultant force at the pivot.
22. A 20-lb farm gate is supported by two hinges 4.0 ft apart. The gate is 12.0 ft long. Its weight is
entirely supported by the upper hinge. If the gate is of uniform construction, what forces are
exerted (a) at the upper hinge and (b) at the lower hinge?
Ans. 36 lb, 56o from vertical; 30 lb, horizontally.