Balanced Seesaw Fulcrum

Question

Jo weighs 65 lb and Tim weighs 78 lb. If Tim is seated 6 ft from the center of a balanced seesaw, how far is Jo seated from the center?

Answer 1

For a balanced seesaw, we have the following proportion:

r₁/r₂ = W₂/W₁

1. r₁ = distance Jo is seated from center
2. W₁ = Jo's weight = 65 lb
3. r₂ = distance Tim is seated from center = 6 ft
4. W₂ = Tim's weight = 78 lb

Plug in the numbers and solve for r₁.