Question

You and your little cousin sit on a see-saw. You sit 0.5 m from the fulcrum, and your cousin sits 1.5 m from the fulcrum. You weigh 600 N. How much does she weigh?

Answer 1

Answer:

200N

Explanation:

Distance from fulcrum by you  = 0.5m

Distance from fulcrum by cousin  = 1.5m

Your weight  = 600N

Unknown:

Weight of my cousin = ?

Solution:

From the principle of moment, when an object is balanced, the sum of the clockwise moment is equal to the sum of the anti-clockwise moment.

So;

   Your weight x distance from fulcrum by you  = Weight of cousin x her distance from the fulcrum

   600 x 0.5  = weight of cousin x 1.5m

    Weight of cousin  = 200N