- #1
keemosabi
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Homework Statement
As part a of the drawing shows, two blocks are connected by a rope that passes over a set of pulleys. One block has a weight of m1 = 312 N, and the other has a weight of m2 = 758 N. The rope and the pulleys are massless and there is no friction.
(a) What is the acceleration of the lighter block?
m/s2
(b) Suppose that the heavier block is removed, and a downward force of 758 N is provided by someone pulling on the rope, as part b of the drawing shows. Find the acceleration of the remaining block.
m/s2
(c) Explain why the answers in (a) and (b) are different.
Homework Equations
Fnet = ma
The Attempt at a Solution
758 - 312 = 446, the net force of the entire system. Then I plugged this into Fnet = ma, 446 = ma. To get the mass, I did 758 + 312 1070, and then divided by the acceleration due to gravity, 9.8, and got 109.184. I plugged in and got 446 = 109.184(a), solved for a and got 4.085 as the accelearation in part a. What I don't understand is how the acceleration in part b is different, since the same force is being applied? Or is it because I don't add the weight of the human to my mass measurement when finding out that acceleration? Why not?