Pulley system, find the acceleration and tension

In summary: Look at the figure. What other forces on the pulley are available that you did not draw in your diagram? (It does not need to be two separate forces, it is sufficient to have one force pointing up and...other forces pointing right).There is only one force, the tension in the string.
  • #36
Orodruin said:
Yes, but you need to find a relation between ##T_1## and ##T_2## to completely solve your system. Can you imagine where you can get such a relation from?
I guess I need to make both of them somehow equal. But I don't know where I can get that relation from. I guess that since there are two ##T_1## tensions on the right side of the middle pulley, then the second tension must be half ##T_1##?
 
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  • #37
Davidllerenav said:
I guess I need to make both of them somehow equal. But I don't know where I can get that relation from. I guess that since there are two ##T_1## tensions on the right side of the middle pulley, then the second tension must be half ##T_1##?
Yes, this is the FBD of the middle pulley. An ideal (massless pulley) has the force equation ##F = ma = 0 = T_2 - 2T_1##.
 
  • #38
Orodruin said:
Yes, this is the FBD of the middle pulley. An ideal (massless pulley) has the force equation ##F = ma = 0 = T_2 - 2T_1##.
I didn't knew that. So everytime I have a massless pulley I can assume that?
 
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  • #39
Davidllerenav said:
ecwrytumw
I think you need to double check the placement of your fingers on the keyboard ... :rolleyes:
But yes. Any time you have an ideal massless object, the forces acting on it need to cancel out.
 
  • #40
Orodruin said:
I think you need to double check the placement of your fingers on the keyboard ... :rolleyes:
But yes. Any time you have an ideal massless object, the forces acting on it need to cancel out.
Sorry, I'm from my cellphone and didn't notice. I meant "everytime". So the forces cancel and the tensions also have that relationship?
 
  • #41
Davidllerenav said:
and the tensions also have that relationship?
The forces and torques cancel, so they may have a relationship, but not necessarily that one, exactly.
The right-hand pulley is on a bracket, so the tensions balance the force from that. The left-hand pulley is only in contact with the strings, so the forces from the tensions must balance somehow. All the strings are parallel, so it's easy, but in another problem the string that runs around the pulley might go off at some angle.
 

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