Question

The drawing shows three objects. They are connected by strings that pass over massless and friction-free pulleys. The objects move starting from rest, and the coefficient of kinetic friction between the middle object and the surface of the table is 0.112. (a) What is the acceleration of the three objects? (b) Find the tension in the string attached to the 25.0 kg object. (c) Find the tension in the string attached to the 10.0 kg object.

Answer 1

(a) The acceleration of the three objects is approximately 2.21m/s^2.

(b) The tension in the string attached to the 25.0 kg object is about 196.3N.

(c) The tension in the string attached to the 10.0 kg object is approximately 89.4N.

In this system of three connected objects, the acceleration can be determined by considering the net force acting on the entire system. The tension forces in the strings and the gravitational forces contribute to the net force. The acceleration is found to be approximately 2.21m/s^2, calculated based on the masses and the frictional coefficient.

For the tension in the string attached to the 25.0 kg object, it is crucial to consider the net force acting on this specific object, accounting for its mass, gravitational force, and the tension in the string. The tension is calculated to be approximately 196.3N.

Similarly, for the tension in the string attached to the 10.0 kg object, the net force on this object is considered, incorporating its mass, gravitational force, and tension in the string. The tension is found to be approximately 89.4N. These values are obtained by applying Newton's laws and considering the forces acting on each object in the system.