Difficult Math, please help

[ljlugg]

If anyone could help with this math problem I would so appreciate it! Thank you.

1.) A member of the US Coast Guard needs to hold onto a survivor of a sinking ship, but he doesn't have a rescue line or basket. The rescuer clings onto the survivor with a single hand while holding onto the helicopter's landing gear with his other hand. If the swimmer has a mass of 45.9kg (Fswimmer = 450N) and the rescuer has a mass of 35.7 kg (Fsurvivor = 350N), (A) then find the force exerted by the rescuer's arm holding the helicopter (B) Then find the force exerted by the arm holding the survivor. Draw the free body diagram and find the forces.

2.) Lets assume that there is no mass in the beam to the left of point A. Mass of the beam is 81.6 kg (Fbeam = 800N) Can you solve.
Please see attached to help solve the question 2, Thank you.

 

[Wouter]

1. just draw the beam and only the forces working on them (including unknown forces such as those at the hinge). Solve using the sum of forces = 0 (since it's a static problem, nothing moves so the sum equals 0).
2. You can use Pythagorean theorem to add up the forces in x and y directions. This should be the total shear force.

If you want to solve using different values, substitute them in the equations
by the way, these are no differential equations

 

[ljlugg]

Thanks Wouter, its really starting to make more sense to me now.

 

[ljlugg]

For question 2 is that 45Nor 95 N?

 

[Wouter]

F=sqrt(45^2+500^2)

 

[ljlugg]

Thank you.