A cat burglar is planning a daring heist. He will lower himself from a beam as shown in the figure on the left. The burglar weighs 150 lbs. He plans to use a long rope that can withstand a tension of 100 lbs to suspend himself from a shorter rope, reasoning that each segment of the longer rope will only need to support half his weight. (The short rope segment is Kevlar and can easily support the burglar's full weight.) (a) Despite your moral outrage, you decide to set the burglar straight. Compute the tensions T1, T2, and T3 and explain why the plan will not work. (b) As a strictly intellectual exercise, you design an alternative arrangement of ropes that will support the burglar's weight using the same long rope from part (a). In the configuration on the right, what is the maximum angle 0 that will result in a tension of less than 100 lbs in each segment of rope? You may ignore the mass of the rope in parts (a) and (b).
A cat burglar is planning a daring heist. He will lower himself from a beam as shown in the figure on the left. The burglar weighs 150 lbs. He plans to use a long rope that can withstand a tension of 100 lbs to suspend himself from a shorter rope, reasoning that each segment of the longer rope will only need to support half his weight. (The short rope segment is Kevlar and can easily support the burglar's full weight.) (a) Despite your moral outrage, you decide to set the burglar straight. Compute the tensions T1, T2, and T3 and explain why the plan will not work. (b) As a strictly intellectual exercise, you design an alternative arrangement of ropes that will support the burglar's weight using the same long rope from part (a). In the configuration on the right, what is the maximum angle 0 that will result in a tension of less than 100 lbs in each segment of rope? You may ignore the mass of the rope in parts (a) and (b).
College Physics
11th Edition
ISBN:9781305952300
Author:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CQ: Estimate the order of magnitude of the length, in meters, of each of the following; (a) a mouse, (b)...
Related questions
Concept explainers
Angular speed, acceleration and displacement
Angular acceleration is defined as the rate of change in angular velocity with respect to time. It has both magnitude and direction. So, it is a vector quantity.
Angular Position
Before diving into angular position, one should understand the basics of position and its importance along with usage in day-to-day life. When one talks of position, it’s always relative with respect to some other object. For example, position of earth with respect to sun, position of school with respect to house, etc. Angular position is the rotational analogue of linear position.
Question

Transcribed Image Text:### Educational Content on the Physics of Tension in Ropes
#### Scenario Description:
A cat burglar is planning a daring heist as depicted in the two diagrams above. The burglar weighs 150 lbs and intends to suspend himself using a long rope that can withstand a tension of 100 lbs, attached to a shorter, stronger rope made of Kevlar that can handle his full weight. The goal is to determine if his plan is feasible and to explore alternative configurations.
#### Diagram Explanation:
**Left Diagram:**
- The burglar is suspended from a beam with ropes labeled \( T_1 \), \( T_2 \), and \( T_3 \).
- Rope \( T_3 \) forms a 45° angle with the beam.
- A downward force represents the burglar's weight (150 lbs).
- The diagram is used to analyze if each rope segment can support the weight while maintaining the tension below 100 lbs.
**Right Diagram:**
- Presents a new setup with ropes labeled \( T_1 \) and \( T_2 \).
- The angle \( \theta \) is formed between the ropes and the beam.
- This configuration evaluates alternative methods to distribute weight and tension evenly.
#### Physics Problem:
##### Part (a)
- **Objective:** Compute tensions \( T_1 \), \( T_2 \), and \( T_3 \) in the left diagram and assess the feasibility of the burglar's plan.
- **Approach:** Analyze forces using the given angles and weights to determine if tensions exceed the rope's limit of 100 lbs.
##### Part (b)
- **Objective:** Design an alternate rope arrangement as shown in the right diagram to ensure tensions remain below 100 lbs.
- **Challenge:** Calculate the maximum angle \( \theta \) for the configuration to support the burglar's weight without exceeding the tension limit.
#### Note:
Ignore the mass of the ropes in both parts of the problem to simplify calculations and focus purely on the tension mechanics involved with the burglar's weight and the rope angles.
This exercise illustrates the practical application of physics concepts such as tension, force balancing, and vector resolution, pivotal in understanding static equilibrium in real-world scenarios.
Expert Solution

This question has been solved!
Explore an expertly crafted, step-by-step solution for a thorough understanding of key concepts.
This is a popular solution!
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 3 steps with 2 images

Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Recommended textbooks for you

College Physics
Physics
ISBN:
9781305952300
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:
Cengage Learning

University Physics (14th Edition)
Physics
ISBN:
9780133969290
Author:
Hugh D. Young, Roger A. Freedman
Publisher:
PEARSON

Introduction To Quantum Mechanics
Physics
ISBN:
9781107189638
Author:
Griffiths, David J., Schroeter, Darrell F.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press

College Physics
Physics
ISBN:
9781305952300
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille
Publisher:
Cengage Learning

University Physics (14th Edition)
Physics
ISBN:
9780133969290
Author:
Hugh D. Young, Roger A. Freedman
Publisher:
PEARSON

Introduction To Quantum Mechanics
Physics
ISBN:
9781107189638
Author:
Griffiths, David J., Schroeter, Darrell F.
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press

Physics for Scientists and Engineers
Physics
ISBN:
9781337553278
Author:
Raymond A. Serway, John W. Jewett
Publisher:
Cengage Learning

Lecture- Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:
9780321820464
Author:
Edward E. Prather, Tim P. Slater, Jeff P. Adams, Gina Brissenden
Publisher:
Addison-Wesley

College Physics: A Strategic Approach (4th Editio…
Physics
ISBN:
9780134609034
Author:
Randall D. Knight (Professor Emeritus), Brian Jones, Stuart Field
Publisher:
PEARSON