Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Vector Forces 10-Jun-2006 At 8:49:26 AM handtraverse

Message

uwhp510 wrote:
>It's all about the components of forces (there is no such thing as a scalar
>force, all forces have a magnitude and a direction, making them vectors,
>in which case they have components in different directions).
>
>The weight of the person on the tyrolean is balanced by the vertical components
>of the tension in each side of the rope, each of which is balanced by the
>force applied to the rope by the anchor at that end. Regardless of where
>you are on the tyrolean, the tension in the rope is equal on either side
>of you (if it wasn't it would just slide through the pulley), hence the
>forces on the anchors are equal. And since there are two "anchor" forces
>whose vertical components are balancing your weight, each only feels half
>of your equivalent load. The surprising thing is that since the tension
>is equal to the load on the anchors, the rope only feels half of your equivalent
>load as well (maybe its not that surprising since you do have two bits
>of rope supporting you; think of the limiting case where the anchors are
>both in the same spot, so the angle is zero).
>
>So in answer to Tom's question, the anchors are feeling the same "pain"
>as the rope.

Wow! I stand corrected. Thanks much. At least at one point earlier in this conversation I did say... !!!!!!!!

Tom