Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Below is an Atwood machine which is simply a pulley with a mass at each end of a
string passed over the top of the pulley and the free body diagram for each mass.
(1) is Newton's 2nd law in its general form, (2) is the net force applied to each mass
from the free body diagram, and (3) results by equating (1) and (2). Adding both
equations (3) cancels the T and rearranging terms yield:
(b) Applying Newton's 2nd law, Fnet = ma, to each mass yields:
Whenever you have two equations such as (1) and (2) with the same two
unknowns you are in luck. Adding or subtracting them will eliminate one of the
unknowns.
T - m 1g = m 1a
T = 3.0 kg*1.96 m/s2 + 3.0 kg*9.80 m/s2 = 35.3 N
(d) How would the answers above change if you were on the moon where
g ≅ 1.63 m/s2? Use both a qualitative and quantitative analysis to support your
answer.
The value of the two masses would remain the same because mass is
independent of location. The force diagrams would remain the same but Fw and T
would be smaller because of a smaller g.
(a) 10. N
Similarly, for Fw1:
Fw1 will appear to weigh 40. N. The resultant of Fw1 and FN is equal to 40. N straight
down which is the force being exerted on the scale. Because of Newton's 3rd law, the
scale pushes up on Fw1 with a force of 40. N
(b) 40. N
(c) 70. N
Following the same logic as in (a) and (b) , FN = Fw1 - T = 50. N - 70. N = -20. N.
What???
How can FN = -20. N? The scale either pushes up on Fw1 or not at all. In this case
the logic must change. The net force on Fw1 is T - Fw1 and the tension and
acceleration can be determined as it was in problem 2.
The force diagram for parts (a) and (b) would be the same except for the
relative sizes of T and FN.
The force diagram for part (c) would not have a F N but would look like the
diagram in problem 1 (a).
3) Given that m1 = 4.50 kg and m2 = 3.00 kg, determine the acceleration of the system
and the tension in the cord.
Fw2 - T = m2a (2)
T = Fw2 – T