2 masses suspended over a pulley, finding a mistake

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves two masses suspended over a pulley, with considerations of forces, acceleration, and the moment of inertia of the pulley. The original poster attempts to apply Newton's second law and rotational dynamics to derive an expression for acceleration.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster outlines their attempts to derive the acceleration using equations related to forces acting on the masses and the pulley. They express confusion regarding the moment of inertia used in their calculations, questioning where a mistake may have occurred.

Discussion Status

Some participants acknowledge the original poster's calculations, with one suggesting that the professor may have made an error. There is an ongoing exploration of the assumptions made regarding the moment of inertia in the context of the problem.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes a reference to a potential mistake in the problem setup, specifically regarding the moment of inertia, which may affect the overall understanding of the dynamics involved.

aquance
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Homework Statement


http://i.imgur.com/1j19V0n.jpg
Two masses are suspended from a pulley as on the pic. I have pulleys radius R and moment of inertia I and masses m1 m2.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



So 2nd law of motion:

N_{1} - m_{1}g=m_{1}a
m_{2}g-N_{2} = m_{2}a
(N_{2}-N_{1})R=Iε=\frac{Ia}{R}

I get N's from 3rd equation and add two first ones

N_{2}-N_{1}=\frac{Ia}{R^{2}}
g(m_{2}-m_{1}) + N_{1} - N_{2} = (m_{1}+m_{2})a

sub N's to second equation

g(m_{2}-m_{1}) - \frac{Ia}{R^{2}} = (m_{1}+m_{2})a
g(m_{2}-m_{1}) = (m_{1}+m_{2})a + \frac{Ia}{R^{2}}
g(m_{2}-m_{1}) = a(m_{1}+m_{2}+\frac{I}{R^{2}})
\frac{g(m_{2}-m_{1})}{m_{1}+m_{2}+\frac{I}{R^{2}}} = a

Now, it's wrong as there should be 2I and not I. Where did I make a mistake?
 
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aquance said:
\frac{g(m_{2}-m_{1})}{m_{1}+m_{2}+\frac{I}{R^{2}}} = a

Now, it's wrong as there should be 2I and not I. Where did I make a mistake?

Your solution is correct.

ehild
 
Uh, thanks, it seems that prof made a mistake.
 
aquance said:
Uh, thanks, it seems that prof made a mistake.

Everybody can make mistakes... :biggrin:

ehild
 

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