Translational equilibrium

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Examples
Lessons
  1. Translational equilibrium of hanging masses
    1. A 95.0 kg object is suspended by two cables attached to the ceiling and wall as shown. What is the tension in cable attached to the wall?

      PHYS 8 1 1a
    2. A 42.0 kg object is suspended by two cables attached to the ceiling and wall as shown. What is the tension in cable attached to the wall?

      PHYS 8 1 1b
Topic Notes
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In this lesson, we will learn:

  • Meaning of translational equilibrium
  • Solving problems involving translational equilibrium

Notes:

  • An object can undergo translational motion (motion that changes its position) and rotational motion (motion that changes its angle).
  • An object is in translational equilibrium if the velocity of its translational motion is constant. An object that is not moving or an object that is moving in a straight line at a constant velocity would be considered in translation equilibrium. To be in translational equilibrium, the net force acting on the object must be zero (recall Newton's first law: if no unbalanced forces act on an object, it does not accelerate).
Conditions for Translational Equilibrium

ΣF=0N\Sigma F = 0 N

or equivalently:

ΣFx=0N\Sigma F_{x} = 0 N and ΣFy=0N\Sigma F_{y} = 0 N

ΣF:\Sigma F: sum of all forces, in newtons (N)

ΣFx:\Sigma F_{x}: sum of all force components in x direction, in newtons (N)

ΣFy:\Sigma F_{y}: sum of all force components in y direction, in newtons (N)