Problema Solution

a 2 by 6 inch beam varies inversly with its length. the 6ft beam can supports 1000 pounds. how much weight could it support if it is 20 ft long?

Answer provided by our tutors

let 'w' represent the weight


the length varies inversely with the weight if there is a constant k such that:


length*weight = k


in our case:


for length = 6 ft we have weight = 1,000 lbs


for length = 20 ft the weight is w


20w = 6*1000


by solving we find:


w = 300 lbs


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the 20 ft beam can support 300 pounds.