PhysicsLAB: Test Scenario: Rotating Beam

Refer to the following information for the next eight questions.

The beam is initially at rest secured in a horizontal position by a cable making a 37º with the boom. The beam's mass is M and its length is L.

Calculate the vertical component of the cable's tension.

What is the magnitude of the tension in the cable while the beam is at rest?

Calculate the horizontal component of the cable's tension.

What is the net Force exerted by the beam on the wall at the hinge?

Suppose the cable snaps and the beam begins to rotate. What is the beam's initial angular acceleration?

Is this angular acceleration a constant as the beam swings down to strike the wall?

When the weight of the beam has descended a vertical distance of L/4, what centripetal force is exerted on the beam's center of mass?

What is the beam's angular momentum the instant it strikes the wall?