| Exam Board | Edexcel |
|---|---|
| Module | M1 (Mechanics 1) |
| Year | 2001 |
| Session | January |
| Marks | 8 |
| Paper | Download PDF ↗ |
| Mark scheme | Download PDF ↗ |
| Topic | Forces, equilibrium and resultants |
| Type | Particle suspended by strings |
| Difficulty | Moderate -0.8 This is a straightforward two-force equilibrium problem requiring resolution of forces in two perpendicular directions and basic trigonometry. The setup is standard M1 fare with given values leading directly to the answer through routine application of equilibrium conditions (ΣFₓ = 0, ΣFᵧ = 0). No problem-solving insight needed beyond recognizing the standard method. |
| Spec | 3.03b Newton's first law: equilibrium3.03e Resolve forces: two dimensions3.03n Equilibrium in 2D: particle under forces |
2.
\begin{figure}[h]
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{49169cc3-c353-430f-80ce-e14ae7fcd6ea-2_293_725_1267_666}
\captionsetup{labelformat=empty}
\caption{Fig. 2}
\end{center}
\end{figure}
A particle $P$ of mass 2 kg is held in equilibrium under gravity by two light inextensible strings. One string is horizontal and the other is inclined at an angle $\alpha$ to the horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2. The tension in the horizontal string is 15 N . The tension in the other string is $T$ newtons.
\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
\item Find the size of the angle $\alpha$.
\item Find the value of $T$.
\end{enumerate}
\hfill \mbox{\textit{Edexcel M1 2001 Q2 [8]}}