The crane is fixed-supported at point A and loaded by an 840 N force directed along line BC. Determine the reaction force at point A. Give your answer as a Cartesian vector.

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let me restate the problem to ensure we are analyzing the same scenario: A crane is fixed at point A (a fixed support), and a 840 N force is applied along the line BC. We are asked to determine the reaction force at A and express it as a Cartesian vector.

First, since A is a fixed support, the reaction at A will have both force components (in x, y, z) and a moment component about the A point if the problem requires a full fixed-support reaction. The given data indicate a geometry with points A, B, and C in 3D space, and the line of action of the 840 N force goes from B toward C along BC. To obtain the reaction at A, you would typically perform static equilibrium:
- Sum of all forces must be zero: RA + F_BC = 0, where RA is the reaction at A (a vector with components Ax, Ay, Az) and F_BC is the applied 840 N force vector along BC.
- If the problem specifies a fixed support, you may also need to satisfy the moment equilibrium about A (or include the fixed-end moment components at A) depending on whether you are solving for a reaction force only or including moments as part of the reaction.

Now, examining the provided answer option: “840 N [−12 i − 8 j + 24 k] 28” appears to try to present a force magnitude with a directional vector. However, there are several potential issues:
- The force magnitude is given as 840 N, but if the reaction at A is the opposite of the applied force (in a simple single-force equilibrium scenario with no other loads or support moments), the reaction would be −840 N along the same line BC, not an independent 840 N vector with components that must correspond to the unit direction of BC. The components shown (−12i, −8j, +24k) do not appear to be a unit direction scaled to 840 N unless they are normalized and scaled correctly, which would require a specific BC direction vector and magnitude that matches 840 N when multiplied by a proper unit vector.
- The vector components must be dimensionally consistent with a 3D coordinate system (i, j, k). If the given components are [−12, −8, 24], their magnitude is sqrt(144 + 64 + 576) = sqrt(784) = 28. If that vector is intended as the direction, the unit direction would be [−12/28, −8/28, 24/28] = [−3/7, −2/7, 6/7], and a force of 840 N in that direction would be 840 × [−3/7, −2/7, 6/7] = [−360, −240, 720] N. That would be a specific reaction vector, not the numbers presented as a raw [−12, −8, 24] combination.
- A correct answer in a typical format would present the reaction vector components in N, not raw direction multipliers, unless the instruction explicitly asks for the direction vector in i, j, k without converting to Newtons. The combination shown in the option as written is ambiguous and inconsistent with a standard Cartesian force vector representation.

Given these observations, here are the key points to consider when evaluating such options:
- Verify whether the option expresses a force vector in Newtons with components (Ax, Ay, Az) or merely a directional vector that must be scaled to 840 N. If it’s a directional vector, you should compute the actual components by multiplying by 840 divided by the magnitude of the direction vector.
- Confirm the BC direction: you need the coordinates of B and C or the line BC direction vector to obtain the unit vector along BC. Without that, you cannot determine the exact components of the reaction at A.
- Check for consistency: the sum of forces should be zero in equilibrium, so RA = −F_BC if there are no other loads or moments. If there are moments at A due to fixed support, RA alone does not capture the full reaction; you would also have a moment at A.

In summary, the given option’s format is ambiguous and may not reflect a correctly computed Cartesian reaction vector. To validate or reject it, you would need to:
- determine the direction of BC from the coordinates or geometry,
- compute the unit vector along BC,
- multiply by 840 N to obtain the force vector along BC,
- set RA = −F_BC (plus consider any moment components if required by the fixed-support condition), and
- present RA in proper Cartesian components in newtons.

Without the BC direction vector or the full static-equilibrium solution steps, it is not possible to confirm that the presented vector is correct. The reasoning above shows where the ambiguities lie and how one would proceed to verify the reaction at A.

MECHENG 2010 SP2025 (10190) Bonus Review Quiz Midterm 2

The crane is fixed-supported at point A and loaded by an 840 N force directed along line BC. Determine the reaction force at point A. Give your answer as a Cartesian vector.

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