Brain teaser #5
 

If you balanced a broom horizontally on your finger, so that your finger was exactly on the broom's center of gravity, marked that spot and cut the broom in half then you would have a long and a short piece. The long piece being most of the handle and the short piece being the bristle end and a small part of the handle. Now what will happen if you weigh both pieces? (pick all that apply)

A) The short piece will weigh more.
B) The long piece will weigh more.
C) Both will weigh the same.
D) Your mom will find out and hit you with both pieces!

short piece wieghs more

hmm why would that be?

Makes fucking sense!

A and D for those who are still living with mom

Oh quiet knows.

hold on let me cut my broom :1orglaugh

I would also say that the short piece wieghs more :thumbsup

leverage. the weight of the longer piece is spread out farther from the balance point.

A) The short piece will wiegh more!

This is due to the torque needed to hold the long piece up. It is the same reason a heavy kid has sit closer in on a see saw when he is on it with a lighter friend.

Leverage biatch!

short piece, cuz of torque

C and D

Oh yeah, D) may also be correct depending on your mother's temperament.

Nah, I think its the horsepower

D is the only answer appropriate for this board.

Must agree on the short end
:2 cents:

let me cut my broom, i'll be back in 5 minutes :thumbsup

C !

All forces up equals the force down, thus undependant on mass and leverage

bump

The short piece will weigh more. Just think about a teeter-totter (whoever said that). You have a teeter-totter with nobody on it, both sides would weigh the same right? Now a skinny kid sit on one end as far out as he can, then a fat kid sits on the other end but much closer to the center. They can still balance out. Do they weigh the same? No. Call it leverage, torque, whatever, the short piece will weigh more.

Actually, the way that question is written, none of the answers is necessarily correct.

"...on the broom's center of gravity, marked that spot and cut the broom in half..."

If you are cutting the broom in half, you are cutting in the exact center. The exact center could not be the center of gravity because the two ends are made of different materials (hence having a long and short piece when you <I>do</I> cut on the center of gravity).

Now, if you cut on the mark you made for the center of gravity, the short piece weighs more :)

SpaceAce