Question 20645
I have balanced a weightless beam , ten meters long, on a fulcrum
by putting a 6 kg mass on one end, and an unknown mass on the other 
end. To balance this, I had to place the fulcrum 1.5 meters from 
the 6kg mass. What is the unknown mass?
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The equation is gotten using this model: 
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(Left mass) × (Left mass's distance to fulcrum) = (Right mass) × (Right mass's distance to fulcrum)
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Left mass = 6 kg
Left mass's distance to fulcrum = 1.5 meters
Right mass (unknown) = x kg
Right mass's distance to fulcrum = 10 meters - 1.5 meters = 8.5 meters
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(6)(1.5) = (x)(8.5)
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Solve that, get 1 1/17 kg. or about 1.06 kg.
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Edwin
AnlytcPhil@aol.com