Three identical weights are to be suspended from the ends of a rigid light¹ "Y"-shaped frame. Each arm of the frame is to be of a different length.

How is this to be accomplished (ie, how do you shape the "Y") so that the 'system' is in equilibrium within a horizontal plane?

¹ "light" is meant as being weightless, having no concern for mass.
Note too, the colours are the radial ring extremeties of the "Y" arms within the horizontal plane.

Firstly the arms are rigid, are straight in the traditional Euclidian sense, may not be distorted and are to remain in the horizontal plane.

For the Brian Smith solution to work one needs to know the angles between the arms; to a point that has been addressed by noting that the vectors form a triangular array.

The Kenny M solution introduces "centroid" but he wonders then about the trig.  Given Kenny M's solution and his opening consideration how can that centroid be determined with the need for trig?

Posted by brianjn on 2009-12-27 23:15:11