A biology laboratory at your university is studying the location of a person\'s

Question

A biology laboratory at your university is studying the location of a person's center of gravity as a function of her or his body weight. They pay well and you decide to volunteer. The location of your center of gravity when standing erect is to be determined by having you lie on a uniform board (mass of 5.00 kg, length 2.00 m) supported by two scales, as shown in the figure. If your height is 182 cm and the left scale reads 465 N while the right scale reads 365 N, where is your center of gravity relative to your feet? Assume the scales are both exactly the same distance from the two ends of the board, are separated by 173 cm, and are set to each read zero before you get on the platform

Explanation / Answer

This problem can't be solved with the info given. This is because your height is different from the distance between the scales and the relationship of the scales to the extremities of your body are not given. What can be solved is the location of your CM relative to the right (or left) scale: Xr = SM/SW = (430*176 + 355*0)/(430+355) = 96.4 cm

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