How To Solve A Physics Problem

Alexandre Le Blanc
[email protected]
[email protected]
This document will illustrate the steps undertaken to solve a physics
problem. These steps, although subjective fluid, provide a safe pathway
to a solution. The steps can be summarized as:

1. Read the question

2. Analyse the question
Find the useful formulas
3. Visualise the steps to answer parts of the question
Draw, or update a figure, to help
4. Answer the question
Step 1, Reading The Question
A beam is held to a wall by a hinge as depicted in figure 1. A rope, attached to the wall 80 cm above the hinge
and to the edge of the beam, holds the beam at an angle of 20° with respect to the horizontal. The beam is of
negligible thickness, has a mass of 10 kg and a length of 2 m.
a) Find the tension in the rope.
b) Find the horizontal and vertical components of the resulting force on the hinge.

Figure 1

80 cm
𝑇

20°
 Step 2, Analyse The Question
A beam is held to a wall by a hinge as depicted in figure 1. A rope, attached
to the wall 80 cm above the hinge and to the edge of the beam, holds the
beam at an angle of 20° with respect to the horizontal. The beam is of
negligible thickness and has a mass of 10 kg and a length of 2m.
a) Find the tension in the rope.
b) Find the horizontal and vertical components of the resulting force on the
hinge.
All questions contain some information that will guide you to answer its parts. Distilling the information is a skill
that you acquire with experience and some might find certain information more useful than others. Only with
practice will your process become better.

What you do to emphasise what you consider important is entirely your choice, colors, memory, highlights, etc.

I highlighted in red the information that leads to concepts of a specific chapter, in cyan are physical properties
and in black are drawings provided with the question.
 Step 3, Finding The Formulas
At this step we need to associate the information found in the question to
concepts that will lead to the formulas to be used. In assignments, the
question will pertain to a specific chapter which greatly reduces the amount
of effort required to find the formulas. Nonetheless, the wording is usually
very important and you should be able to associate them to concepts. In this
question, there is two information which is the key:

held to a wall Static Equilibrium

The beam is of
negligible thickness
Rigid Body ෍ 𝜏റ = 0 ෍ 𝐹റ = 0
 Step 3, Visualising The Solution Procedure
Here, the idea is not to do all the math but figure out a plan as to what
you are going to need to do

Tells us that we need to calculate moments Figure 1

Moments describe the rotation of objects 80 cm

We should look at our drawing and figure

෍ 𝜏റ = 0 out what can cause rotations 20° 𝑇
We should also update the drawing
if required
There are two forces, in this problem, that 𝐹𝑔
can cause the beam to rotate about the
hinge
The beam itself, it’s gravitational force
The rope, i.e. the tension in the rope
Step 3, Visualise
Once we have appended the drawing we can pursue the idea further; again we’re preparing the order of calculations.
Because we found that we’re dealing with static equilibrium of rigid bodies, we navigate that chapter and find the
formula(s) for a moment, 𝜏.

𝑟റ
𝜏റ = 𝑟റ × 𝐹റ
𝜃𝑟,𝐹 𝐹റ
𝜏 = ± 𝑟റ × 𝐹റ = ± 𝑟𝐹𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝜃𝑟,𝐹 )
Common origin
! !
We’re going to need a We’re going to need the Angles usually involve geometry
method to obtain the angle between 𝑟റ and 𝐹റ and trigonometry, such as cosine
sign law or sine law
It helps to draw the
Right hand rule cross products
𝑟റ is the vector
from the hinge
to the force
 Figure 1
80 cm

Step 3, Visualize H
20°
2
𝑇
𝑟റ

𝜏 = ± 𝑟റ × 𝐹റ = ± 𝑟𝐹𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝜃𝑟,𝐹 ) 𝜃𝑟,𝐹 𝐹റ

Common origin 1
Just a reminder 𝐹𝑔

𝜏1 The beam is of negligible thickness 𝜏2 𝑇

20° 𝑟2 = 𝐿
Center of mass 𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇
𝛽 = 90 + 20
𝑟1 Thin beam = midpoint
𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹𝑔 𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇 = 180 − 𝛾
Will require some geometry
𝐿 Or trigonometry
𝑟1 = 𝑟റ2
𝐹𝑔 2
Sine law
𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹𝑔 = 90 − 20 𝐿 𝐻 𝑅
= =
𝐹𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔 sin 𝛼 sin 𝛾 sin 𝛽

Cosine law 𝛼
H 𝛽
𝑅 = 𝐻 + 𝐿2 − 2𝐻𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛽
2 2

2 equations, 2 unknown = solvable 𝛾

 Figure 1
80 cm

Step 3, Visualise H
20°
2
𝑇
෍ 𝜏റ = 0

𝜏റ1 + 𝜏റ2 = 0 1
𝐹𝑔
𝜏റ1 + 𝜏റ2 = ± 𝑟1 𝐹𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹 ± 𝑟2 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇 = 0
𝑔

The only unknow, thus solvable

We now have some idea of how to move forward

Calculate 𝜏1 using the formula for the cross product

Nothing special here other than using the center of mass of a beam

Calculate 𝜏2 using the formula for the cross product

Requires geometry to figure out the angle. You don’t necessarily know how difficult this will be, you
only know there will be some geometry involved.

Isolate T
 Figure 1
80 cm

Step 3, Visualise 𝑇

You could proceed to calculate T but you could also look at the
other part of the static equilibrium, you should suspect that it will
lead to the answer of the second part of the answer, b) 𝐹𝑔

෍ 𝐹റ = 0 resulting force on the hinge tells where to put the origin to

! calculate the force that leads to static equilibrium

𝐹𝑔 + 𝑇 + 𝐹𝑅 = 0 𝐹𝑣
It is usually unwise to try to
y
predict the orientation of the
𝐹𝑅 = 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ 𝑇
unknown force that leads to
𝐹ℎ static equilibrium, the drawing is
−𝑚𝑔റ𝑗 + 𝑇𝑥 𝑖റ + 𝑇𝑦 𝑗റ + 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ = 0 to illustrate what we are trying
−𝑚𝑔റ𝑗 − 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝛾)റ𝑖 + 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝛾)റ𝑗 + 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ = 0 to do
𝑗റ 𝐹𝑔
This can immediately be split in to two and x
fully solved once we know T and 𝛾 𝑖റ
 Step 4, Performing The Calculations
Even though quite complex and lengthy, the visualizing step happens while drawing the problem, it is common
for this to be mostly in thought. It is also not uncommon to immediately perform the calculations while
visualizing; it’s not wrong if you know you will obtain the solution. Think of the outcome of a calculation and
whether it will have you progress forward.

𝜏1 The beam is of negligible thickness

𝜏1 20°
+ 𝑟1
Center of mass
Thin beam = midpoint
𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹𝑔
𝜏1 = ± 𝑟1 𝐹𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹𝑔 ) 𝐿
𝑟1 =
𝐹𝑔 2
𝐿
𝜏1 = + 𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛(70) 𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹𝑔 = 90 − 20
2
2 𝐹𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔
𝜏1 = + ∗ 10 ∗ 9.8 ∗ 𝑠𝑖𝑛(70)
2

𝜏1 = +92.089 𝑁𝑚 ! We deal with significant figures at the very end

 Step 4, Performing The Calculations
H = 80 cm = 0.8 m 𝑇
L=2m 𝜏2 𝑟2 = 𝐿
R2 = H2 + L2 − 2HLcos(𝛽) 𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇
𝛽 = 110 𝛽 = 90 + 20
𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇 = 180 − 𝛾
𝑅= 0.82 + 22 − 2 ∗ 0.8 ∗ 2 ∗ cos 110 Will require some geometry
Or trigonometry

𝑅 = 2.395 𝑚 + 𝑟റ2
Sine law
𝜏2 𝐿 𝐻 𝑅
𝐻 𝑅 sin 𝛼
=
sin 𝛾
=
sin 𝛽
= 𝜏2 = ± 𝑟2 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇 )
sin 𝛾 sin 𝛽 𝛼
Cosine law H
𝜏2 = −𝐿𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(180 − 18.294) 𝑅 = 𝐻 + 𝐿2 − 2𝐻𝐿𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛽
2 2 𝛽
𝐻𝑆𝑖𝑛(𝛽)
𝛾 = sin−1
𝑅 𝜏2 = −2𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(161.706)
2 equations, 2 unknown = solvable 𝛾

0.8 ∗ 𝑆𝑖𝑛(110)
𝛾= sin−1
2.395

𝛾 = 18.294°
 Step 4, Performing The Calculations
෍ 𝐹റ = 0
෍ 𝜏റ = 0 𝐹𝑔 + 𝑇 + 𝐹𝑅 = 0
𝐹𝑅 = 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ
𝜏റ1 + 𝜏റ2 = 0 −𝑚𝑔റ𝑗 + 𝑇𝑥 𝑖റ + 𝑇𝑦 𝑗റ + 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ = 0
𝜏റ1 + 𝜏റ2 = ± 𝑟1 𝐹𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃𝑟1 ,𝐹 ± 𝑟2 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃𝑟2 ,𝑇 = 0 −𝑚𝑔റ𝑗 − 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝛾)റ𝑖 + 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝛾)റ𝑗 + 𝐹ℎ 𝑖റ + 𝐹𝑣 𝑗റ = 0
𝑔
𝐹ℎ = 𝑇𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝛾 𝑖റ 𝐹𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔 − 𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝛾 𝑗റ
𝐿 𝐹𝑣 = 10 ∗ 9.8 − 293.379 ∗ 𝑠𝑖𝑛 18.294 𝑗റ
𝜏റ1 + 𝜏റ2 = + 𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛 70 − 𝐿𝑇𝑠𝑖𝑛(161.706) = 0 𝐹ℎ = 293.379 ∗ 𝑠𝑖𝑛(18.294)റ𝑖
2
𝐹ℎ = 92.089 𝑖റ 𝐹𝑣 = 887.910 𝑗റ
𝑚𝑔𝑠𝑖𝑛 70
𝑇= b) Precision ≠ sig. figs.
𝑠𝑖𝑛 161.706
10 ∗ 9.8 ∗ 𝑠𝑖𝑛 70 𝐹ℎ = 92.1 𝑖റ 3 sig. figs. 𝐹𝑣 = 888 𝑗റ
𝑇= = 293.379 𝑁
𝑠𝑖𝑛 161.706

𝐹ℎ = 92.089 𝑖റ 3 decimal places 𝐹𝑣 = 887.910 𝑗റ

𝑇 = 293 𝑁 3 sig figs
a)
𝑇 = 293.379 𝑁 3 decimal places
What Do You Show On Paper?
This is a very subjective matter, just remember that divine inspiration,
just an answer, does not count as work. The more you show, with
explanations, the higher the likelihood you will be awarded some
points. If the reader must guess or requires a priori knowledge to
follow through your work, that’s a problem. Someone outside of
physics should be able to read and follow the logic; one can follow a
recipe without knowing the outcome or the type of dish.
Conclusion
I hope this was useful and I know this looks awfully long and
complicated, but remember it’s a method and once you are adept with
the method, problems can be solved extremely fast.

If you desire to practice one of the steps, you don’t need to fully solve a
problem. For example, if you have difficulty finding the important
information in a question, read many questions and highlight what you
think is important and if you want confirmation, send me an e-mail and
I’ll gladly verify that you understand the question. This applies to any of
the steps, I’ll never refuse to help someone learn.