Two painters each of mass 75kg are positioned on a scaffold of mass 30kg as shown below. A paint can of mass 5kg is also on the scaffold.

a) Which rope will have the greater tension acting on it? Justify your answer (no math required – only an explanation).

b) Label all of the forces acting on the scaffold directly on the diagram above. What forces are unknown?

c) The board is not rotating or accelerating. What two equilibrium conditions must be satisfied for this to be true? Write the formulas below.

d) Using FNET determine what their sum is, T1 + T2? State the equation first, then solve.

e) Starting with TNET determine the tension in each rope. Show all work below.

f) At some time during the day the workers get a call from their supervisor from the ground. He is in a panic. Apparently the ropes on the scaffold are dangerously old and need to be replaced. Each rope can only handle 925N of force. Fortunately our workers know their physics and reposition themselves quickly. What did they do to remain safe?