Question

Unequal masses will not balance on a fulcrum if they are at equal distance from it; one side will go up and the other side will go down.

Unequal masses will balance when the following proportion is true:

`("mass"1)/("length"2) = ("mass"2)/("length"1)`

Two children can be balanced on a seesaw when

`("mass"1)/("length"2) = ("mass"2)/("length"1)`. The child on the left and child on the right are balanced. What is the mass of the child on the right?

Answer 1

It is given that, for balancing.

`("Mass"  1)/("Length"  2) = ("Mass"  2)/("Length"  1)`

According to the question,

Mass 1 = 24 kg, length 1 = 3 m and length 2 = 2 m 

∴ `24/2 = ("Mass"  2)/3`  ...[By cross-multiplication]

⇒ Mass 2 = `(24 xx 3)/2` = 36 kg