A light, rigid rod of length 0.80 m is suspended horizontally from its midpoint by a…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · System of Particles and Rotational Motion · System of Particles and Rotational Motion
Problem
A light, rigid rod of length 0.80 m is suspended horizontally from its midpoint by a thin vertical wire, allowing the rod to rotate freely in a horizontal plane. A 0.30 kg ornament is attached 0.25 m to the right of the midpoint. A second ornament of mass 0.40 kg will be attached somewhere on the left side so that the rod remains perfectly horizontal and at rest.
Ignore the mass of the rod unless otherwise stated.
(a) Determine the distance, measured from the midpoint, at which the 0.40 kg ornament must be attached on the left side to balance the rod.
(b) Suppose instead the rod has a uniform mass of 0.10 kg. Keeping the positions of the ornaments the same as in part (a), calculate the net torque about the midpoint and state whether the rod will rotate clockwise, counterclockwise, or remain in equilibrium.