MCQEasyJEE 2025Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies

JEE Physics 2025 Question with Solution

A body of mass 1kg1 \, \text{kg} is suspended with the help of two strings making angles as shown in the figure. Magnitude of tensions T1T_1 and T2T_2, respectively, are (in N):

  • A

    55, 535\sqrt{3}

  • B

    535\sqrt{3}, 55

  • C

    535\sqrt{3}, 535\sqrt{3}

  • D

    55, 55

    A 1 kg mass hangs from two strings attached to a horizontal ceiling, making 60 degree left and 30 degree right angles, with tensions T1 and T2 and weight mg downward.

Answer

Correct answer:B

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: A body of mass 1kg1 \, \text{kg} is in equilibrium under tensions T1T_1 and T2T_2. The left string makes 6060^\circ with the horizontal and the right string makes 3030^\circ with the horizontal.

Find: The magnitudes of T1T_1 and T2T_2.

For equilibrium, resolve the tensions into horizontal and vertical components and apply

Fx=0,Fy=0\sum F_x = 0, \qquad \sum F_y = 0

Using g=10m/s2g = 10 \, \text{m/s}^2, the weight is

mg=10Nmg = 10 \, \text{N}

Horizontal equilibrium gives

T2cos30=T1cos60T_2 \cos 30^\circ = T_1 \cos 60^\circ T2(32)=T1(12)T_2 \left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) = T_1 \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) T1=3T2T_1 = \sqrt{3} \, T_2

Vertical equilibrium gives

T1sin60+T2sin30=10T_1 \sin 60^\circ + T_2 \sin 30^\circ = 10 T1(32)+T2(12)=10T_1 \left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) + T_2 \left(\frac{1}{2}\right) = 10

Substitute T1=3T2T_1 = \sqrt{3} \, T_2:

32(3T2)+12T2=10\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(\sqrt{3}T_2) + \frac{1}{2}T_2 = 10 (32+12)T2=10\left(\frac{3}{2} + \frac{1}{2}\right)T_2 = 10 2T2=102T_2 = 10 T2=5NT_2 = 5 \, \text{N}

Then

T1=3×5=53NT_1 = \sqrt{3} \times 5 = 5\sqrt{3} \, \text{N}

Therefore, the magnitudes of tensions are T1=53NT_1 = 5\sqrt{3} \, \text{N} and T2=5NT_2 = 5 \, \text{N}. The correct option is B.

Using equilibrium of components

Given: The mass is suspended by two strings and remains at rest.

Find: The pair (T1,T2)\left(T_1, T_2\right).

The solution contains an earlier inconsistent working using equal angles, but the detailed approach clearly states the figure angles as 6060^\circ and 3030^\circ with the horizontal. Using the figure-consistent equilibrium equations:

Fx=0Fy=0\begin{aligned} \sum F_x &= 0 \\ \sum F_y &= 0 \end{aligned}

Write the components:

T1: horizontal =T1cos60,vertical =T1sin60T2: horizontal =T2cos30,vertical =T2sin30\begin{aligned} T_1 &: \text{ horizontal } = T_1\cos 60^\circ, \quad \text{vertical } = T_1\sin 60^\circ \\ T_2 &: \text{ horizontal } = T_2\cos 30^\circ, \quad \text{vertical } = T_2\sin 30^\circ \end{aligned}

Horizontal balance:

T2cos30=T1cos60T_2\cos 30^\circ = T_1\cos 60^\circ T2(32)=T1(12)T_2\left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) = T_1\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) T1=3T2T_1 = \sqrt{3}T_2

Vertical balance:

T1sin60+T2sin30=10T_1\sin 60^\circ + T_2\sin 30^\circ = 10 T1(32)+T2(12)=10T_1\left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) + T_2\left(\frac{1}{2}\right) = 10

Substitute the relation from horizontal balance:

32(3T2)+12T2=10\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}(\sqrt{3}T_2) + \frac{1}{2}T_2 = 10 32T2+12T2=10\frac{3}{2}T_2 + \frac{1}{2}T_2 = 10 2T2=102T_2 = 10 T2=5NT_2 = 5 \, \text{N}

Hence

T1=3×5=53NT_1 = \sqrt{3}\times 5 = 5\sqrt{3} \, \text{N}

So the required pair is (53,5)(5\sqrt{3}, 5), which matches option B.

Common mistakes

  • Using the same angle for both strings is incorrect because the figure shows different angles, 6060^\circ on one side and 3030^\circ on the other. Resolve each tension with its own angle before writing equilibrium equations.

  • Interchanging sine and cosine is a common error. Since the angles are given with the horizontal, the horizontal component is TcosθT\cos\theta and the vertical component is TsinθT\sin\theta, not the other way around.

  • Assuming T1=T2T_1 = T_2 is wrong here because the geometry is not symmetric. Equal tensions occur only when the corresponding angles and arrangement are symmetric.

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