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A thin uniform rod of mass M and length L is hinged at one end about…

Question

A thin uniform rod of mass M and length L is hinged at one end about a fixed frictionless horizontal axis and held horizontal, then released from rest. At the very instant of release, the hinge exerts a vertical reaction force of magnitude N on the rod. Express N as a percentage of the rod's weight Mg and give that percentage (i.e. report 100*N/(Mg)).

✓ Verified answer: 25checked by our engine — not a guess

Step-by-step solution

Torque about the hinge at release = Mg(L/2).
Moment of inertia about the end = M L^2/3.
So angular acceleration alpha = [Mg L/2] / [M L^2/3] = 3g/(2L).
The centre of mass is at L/2, so its downward linear acceleration is a_cm = alpha (L/2) = 3g/4.
Newton's second law vertically: Mg - N = M a_cm = M(3g/4), giving N = Mg - 3Mg/4 = Mg/4.
As a percentage, 100*N/(Mg) = 25.

Final answer25

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