The distance between two telephone poles is d = 49.5 m. When a 1.50-kg bird lands on the telephone wire midway between the poles, the wire sags h = 0.210 m.
(a) Draw a free-body diagram of the bird.
(b) How much tension does the bird produce in the wire? Ignore the weight of the wire.

Question

The distance between two telephone poles is d = 49.5 m. When a 1.50-kg bird lands on the telephone wire midway between the poles, the wire sags h = 0.210 m.
(a) Draw a free-body diagram of the bird.
(b) How much tension does the bird produce in the wire? Ignore the weight of the wire.

turingtest · Answer

Here's the free-body:|dw:1329359401119:dw|by symmetry both tensions will have the same magnitude. The vertical components of the tensions cancel the force of gravity so the bird is at rest...

turingtest · Answer

To find the tension in the wires we note that the vertical components of the tension due to each wire sum to the force of gravity.|dw:1329359587825:dw|$$\sum F_y=T_y-F_g=2T\sin\theta-mg=0$$solve for tension T.