Question

The masses of the two blocks shown in fig 4 are m1 = 51 and m2 = 27. Ignoring all frictional effects and assuming the pulley to be massless, what is the tension in the cord?

Option a) 108 N.
Option b) 306 N.
Option c) 459 N.
Option d) 612 N.

Answer 1

To find the tension in the cord, analyze the forces acting on each block. The tension in the cord will be the same on both sides of the pulley. The tension in the cord is 51 times the acceleration due to gravity.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the tension in the cord, we can analyze the forces acting on each block. As the pulley is assumed to be massless and frictionless, the tension in the cord will be the same on both sides. Let's denote the tension as T. For block m1, the gravitational force is mg1, where g is the acceleration due to gravity. The tension T acts in the opposite direction. Hence, the net force on m1 is given by:

Net Force on m1 = T - mg1

For block m2, the gravitational force is mg2 and the tension T acts in the same direction. Hence, the net force on m2 is given by:

Net Force on m2 = T - mg2

Since the system is in equilibrium, i.e. not accelerating, the net force on each block must be zero. Therefore, we can set up the following equations:

T - mg1 = 0

T - mg2 = 0

Solving these equations, we get:

T = mg1 = 51g

Thus, the tension in the cord is 51 times the acceleration due to gravity, which is approximately 500 N.