Tug-of-War, 1J30.21

Topic and Concept:

• Statistics of Rigid Bodies, [:Newtons1STLaw#InertiaofRest: 1F20. Inertia of Rest]

Location:

• Cabinet: [:MechanicsCabinet:Mechanic (ME)]

• Bay: [:MechanicsCabinetBayA1:(A1)]

• Shelf: #1

attachment:TugofWar01-400.jpg

Abstract:

Two people pull in opposing directions on the end of a rope demonstrating vector addition of the two forces.

Important Setup Notes:

• N/A

Setup and Procedure:

1. Lay the rope down in front of the audience such that it lays straight.
2. Obtain two volunteers to participate in a tug-of-war.
3. Have each volunteer grab an end of the rope and face each other.
4. Have each volunteer pull on the rope in the opposite direction of their competitor (this is the basic idea of tug-of-war).

Cautions, Warnings, or Safety Concerns:

• N/A

Discussion:

Each participant applies a force on the rope creating a tension in the rope. The tension is the sum of magnitude of each volunteer's input force. If each volunteer is equally matched (in the mathematical sense, admittedly highly idealized), then the net acceleration of the system is zero and the volunteer-rope system will not budge. Thus the match ends in a stalemate. Let's suppose the two volunteers are an offensive lineman from the Badgers varsity football team and an innocent, freshman physics major. It is safe to assume that the lineman can generate much more force than can his opponent. Thus the total force on the system is nonzero and there will be a net acceleration in the direction of the lineman. In other words, the lineman would win the match.

Videos:

• [https://www.youtube.com/user/LectureDemostrations/videos?view=1 Lecture Demonstration's Youtube Channel]

References:

• N/A

[:Instructional:Home]