A woman and her son are playing on a seesaw. The boy is at one end, 6 ft from the fulcrum. If the son weighs 90 lb and the mother weighs 120 lb, where should the woman sit so that the seesaw is balanced?

The mother should sit at a distance of 4.5 ft from the fulcrum on the opposite side to the boy

Explanation:

Data provided in the question:

Distance of boy from the fulcrum, x₁ = 6 ft

Weight of the boy, W₁ = 90 lb

Weight of the mother, W₂ = 120 lb

let the distance of mother from the fulcrum be 'x₂'

Now,

Using the law of the lever equation:

W₁x₁ = W₂x₂

or

90 * 6 = 120 * x₂

or

540 = 120 * x₂

or

x₂ = 4.5 ft

hence,

The mother should sit at a distance of 4.5 ft from the fulcrum on the opposite side to the boy