Answer :
Final answer:
The total tension in all cables holding a 15 kg traffic light is 147 N (which is the product of mass and gravitational acceleration). If considering three cables, this tension would be divided equally among them, but for the two cables assumed here, each cable would experience a tension of 73.5 N.
The correct answer is a).
Explanation:
To determine the tension developed in the three cables required to support a traffic light with a mass of 15 kg, we need to recognize that the tension will be equal to the weight of the traffic light when the system is in equilibrium. The weight can be calculated using the formula Weight (W) = mass (m) × gravitational acceleration (g). Since the mass is 15 kg and the standard gravitational acceleration is approximately 9.8 m/s², the weight W of the traffic light is:
W = 15 kg × 9.8 m/s²
W = 147 N
Therefore, assuming that the cables are designed to equally share the load, each cable would experience a tension of 147 N divided by the number of cables. If we are only considering two cables in this scenario, each cable would be under a tension of 73.5 N to support the traffic light.
The correct answer is a).
