8.01SC | Fall 2016 | Undergraduate

Classical Mechanics

Week 4: Drag Forces, Constraints and Continuous Systems

13.1 Rope Hanging Between Trees

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A rope of mass \(\displaystyle m \) hangs between two trees, making an angle \(\displaystyle \theta \) with the vertical at each end. (It is attached to to each tree at the same height.) Your goal in this problem will be to find the magnitude of the tension force in the rope at the ends and midpoint of the rope. Begin by drawing a free-body diagram just for the left half of the rope.

Calculate \(\displaystyle T_{mid}\), the tension in the rope at the midpoint. Express your answer in terms of \(\displaystyle m\), \(\displaystyle g\), and \(\displaystyle \theta\).

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