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Physics Help >> Index to Physics Homework Help »Pulley Problems, Atwood Machine, Pulleys
Pulley Problems
An Atwood machine uses a cable drawn over a pulley to connect two or more masses. One of the masses acts as a counterbalance or counterweight to reduce acceleration because of gravity. Elevators in multi-level buildings are examples of Atwood machines. The counterweight in an elevator is typically the mass of the elevator plus about half of the mass of the allowable load.
1. In an Atwood's machine experiment, the larger mass is 1.8 kg and the smaller mass is 1.2 kg. a. Ignoring friction, what is the acceleration of the masses? b. What is the tension in the string?
2. A 10.0 kg mass, m1, on a frictionless table is accelerated by a 5.0 kg mass, m2, hanging over the edge of
the table. What is the acceleration of the mass along the table?
3. Two identical blocks are tied together with a string which passes over a pulley at the crest of the inclined planes, one of which makes an angle ø1 = 28° to the horizontal, the other makes the complementary angle ø2 = 62°. If there is no friction anywhere, with what acceleration do the blocks move?
4.
A 2.00-kg and a 6.00-kg copper block are connected by a light string over a frictionless pulley. The two blocks are allowed to move on a fixed steel block wedge inclined 30º. Determine the acceleration of the two blocks and the tension in the string.
5. Two blocks are moving down a ramp that is inclined at 30º. Box 1(of mass 1.55 kg) is above box 2(of 3.1 kg) and they are connected by a massless rod. Find the tension of the rod if the coefficient of kinetic friction for box 1 is .226 and box 2 is .113.
6.
a) Determine the acceleration of the blocks. b) Calculate the tension of the string.
7.
a. Determine the acceleration of the 5.0 kg mass along the ramp. b. Determine the tension in the rope during the acceleration on the 5.0 kg mass along the ramp.
8.
through a pulley, to a box m2 = 2.10 kg that is hanging off the side of the table. (Note that box m2 does not touch the table in any way.) The coefficient of static friction between mass m1 and the table is 0.400,
whereas the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.295. a. What minimum value of m1 will keep the system from starting to move? b. What value of m1 will keep the system moving at constant speed?
9.
are on a 20º slope and are connected by a light string looped
over a pulley. All surfaces are frictionless. Find the
acceleration of each block and the tension in the sting that
connects the blocks.
10.
Answers to Pulley Problems
Answers to selected problems are listed below. For solutions to all the problems on this page click here.
1. a. The net force on each mass is given in the two equations (g = 9.8 m/s/s):
1.8a = 1.8g -T 1.2a = T - 1.2g
Since a and T are the same for both masses, add the two equations:
3.0a = .6g
Therefore,
a = .2g = 1.96 m/s/s
b. Substituting for a in the first equation:
1.8(1.96) = 1.8(9.8) - T
T = 14.1 N
For solutions to all the problems on this page click here.
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Two blocks, one 0.8 kg and the other 2.0 kg are connected by a massless string over a frictionless pulley. The coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.14, and the downward ramp angle is 60 degrees.
A pulley device is used to hurl projectiles from a 30º ramp (coefficient of kinetic friction = .26). A 5.0kg mass is accelerated from rest at the bottom of the 4.0 m long ramp by a falling 20.0kg mass suspended over a fictionless pulley. just as the 5.0kg mass reaches the top of the ramp, it detaches from the rope ( neglect the mass of the rope) and becomes projected from the ramp.
A box of mass m1 sits on a table. It is connected, by a rope drawn 
A 20 kg block, m1, is sliding on a 10 kg block, m2. The blocks