Question

Prior to its launch, a balloon carrying a set of experiments to high altitude is held in place by groups of student volunteers holding the tethers at B, C, and D. The mass of the balloon, experiments package, and the gas it contains is 90 kg, and the buoyancy force on the balloon is 1000 N. The supervising professor conservatively estimates that each student can exert at least a 40-N tension on the tether for the necessary length of time. Based on this estimate, what minimum numbers of students are needed at B, C, and D?

Answer 1

We need to write unit vectors e_AB, e_AC, and e_AD. 

We now write the forces in terms of magnitudes and unit vectors

The equations of equilibrium are

Solving, we get

Comments

How was the number of student being found. By dividing the force by the estomata tension or how?

---

As given 40-N is taken as a weight of one student so calculating force deciding approx number of students.