Question

A 25 kg block is suspended by two ropes. Each rope makes an angle of 53 degrees to the horizontal. What is the magnitude of the tension force in each rope?

Answer 1

Explanations & Calculations

• According to the symmetry of the arrangement, the tension force on each rope should be equal.
• Take it to be $\small T$, and the net force along a verticle direction should be zero as the system remains in equilibrium under the two tension forces.
• Then,

$\qquad\qquad \begin{aligned} \small T \sin \theta +T \sin\theta &=\small mg\\ \small 2T \sin 53 &=\small 25 kg\times 9.81 ms^{-2}\\ \small T &=\small \frac{25\times 9.81}{2\times0.799}\\ &=\small \bold{154.0 \,N} \end{aligned}$