General Acceleration/Tension Question

[mohabitar]

Ok so I made an observation while answering some homework questions, and I want to make sure its not just a coincidence.

If I have something like this:

Since their acceleration is equal in this case, will tension of the string always be equal? Say the table is lifted at a different angle, where the blocks start moving in the opposite direction of the first example, since their acceleration is equal again in this case, will tension be equal as well? Can we generalize that to all examples, where if two objects are held together by a string and their acceleration are the same, then the tension is also the same?

 

[Doc Al]

Can we generalize that to all examples, where if two objects are held together by a string and their acceleration are the same, then the tension is also the same?

As long as the string is massless and the pulley is massless and frictionless, then the tension will be the same throughout the string.

 

[vlado_skopsko]

The tension will be deferent depending if the bodies are accelerating or not.
For example, when the system is in equilibrium the tension is ( T=m2*g ).
If mass 2 starts moving down, the tension in the string will be ( T=m2*g-m2*a ) so less than when the system is in equilibrium.
And yes the tension will be the same throughout the string.
I hope that i didn't completely missed the point of the question :)