Question

Three people are on a see saw with identical masses . Two on the left side and one on the right. However , this is a poorly made see saw the only 1/3 of its length on the left hand side and the rest on the right. On the left one person is at the edge while the second is halfway to the pivot. The normal force at the pivot is 8 times the weight of one of the people.

A)Is the the see saw the correct mass to balance the system . If not what should the mass be ? 7pts

B) With a see saw of the correct mass to balance answer. If the mass of the seesaw is constant , does the length of the see saw change if this system can be stable? What if the mass grows with length? Convince me of your answer with equations and reasoning . 3 pts

Answer 1

Solution in the uploaded images