A force of 20 N is applied at an angle of 60 degrees to a lever arm of length 0.

A force of 20 N is applied at an angle of 60 degrees to a lever arm of length 0.5 m. What is the torque about the pivot?

A force of 20 N is applied at an angle of 60 degrees to a lever arm of length 0.5 m. What is the torque about the pivot?

Step 1: Identify the force applied, which is 20 N.
Step 2: Identify the length of the lever arm, which is 0.5 m.
Step 3: Identify the angle at which the force is applied, which is 60 degrees.
Step 4: Use the formula for torque: Torque (τ) = Force (F) × Length of lever arm (r) × sin(angle).
Step 5: Substitute the values into the formula: τ = 20 N × 0.5 m × sin(60°).
Step 6: Calculate sin(60°), which is √3/2 or approximately 0.866.
Step 7: Substitute sin(60°) into the equation: τ = 20 N × 0.5 m × (√3/2).
Step 8: Calculate the torque: τ = 20 N × 0.5 m × 0.866 = 8.66 Nm.

Torque Calculation – Understanding how to calculate torque using the formula τ = F × r × sin(θ), where F is the force, r is the distance from the pivot, and θ is the angle between the force and the lever arm.
Trigonometric Functions – Applying the sine function to find the effective component of the force that contributes to torque.
Units of Measurement – Recognizing that torque is measured in Newton-meters (Nm) and ensuring unit consistency in calculations.