Acceleration of 1.44m/s^2: Solving Tension Problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter Garrett21
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Tension
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving the calculation of acceleration, specifically 1.44 m/s², in the context of tension and pulley systems. Participants express confusion regarding the assumptions made in the problem, particularly concerning the forces acting on the object and the characteristics of the pulley.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants question the necessity of additional forces for the given acceleration and explore the implications of a frictionless and massless pulley. Some suggest that the problem may have missing information regarding the mass and radius of the pulley, while others reflect on the instructions provided for solving the problem.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants sharing their interpretations and calculations. Some have provided alternative methods for calculating acceleration, while others express frustration with the problem's design and the assumptions required. There is no clear consensus, but various lines of reasoning are being explored.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the potential lack of clarity in the problem statement, particularly regarding the mass of the objects involved and the frictional conditions assumed. The discussion highlights the challenges of interpreting the problem without explicit details.

Garrett21
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Can someone please tell me how my teacher got Acceleration of 1.44m/s^2?
I don't see how its even possible without another force acting on the object
 

Attachments

Physics news on Phys.org
Garrett21 said:
Can someone please tell me how my teacher got Acceleration of 1.44m/s^2?
I don't see how its even possible without another force acting on the object

Is it possible that the pulley has specified mass and radius in the problem statement?

Chet
 
Chestermiller said:
Is it possible that the pulley has specified mass and radius in the problem statement?

Chet

No, she is just introducing this so there is no friction.. I was scratching my head while everyone was saying they got the same answer following instructions, but i vaguely disagreed with it so that's why I am asking here.
 
This seems to be a poorly designed problem. If you use F=ma and assume the pulley to be frictionless and massless you get a=(9.8)(5)/(15)=3.27 m/s^2

It seems that there is some assumed mass in the pulley though because they give you the distance it falls and the time it takes. Using those in the following kinematic equation yields an acceleration of 1.39 m/s^2 which is close:

x=x0+v0t+[itex]\frac{1}{2}[/itex]at2
 
Garrett21 said:
No, she is just introducing this so there is no friction.. I was scratching my head while everyone was saying they got the same answer following instructions, but i vaguely disagreed with it so that's why I am asking here.
What were the instructions? I got the same results as oddjobmj.

Chet
 
Chestermiller said:
What were the instructions? I got the same results as oddjobmj.

Chet

Just to find the acceleration at 1m... idk why this problem is annoying me so much but realistically on a test, i should write.. "this problem is not frictionless"
 
One more thing. Are you sure the mass of A wasn't 30 Kg?

Chet
 
Chestermiller said:
One more thing. Are you sure the mass of A wasn't 30 Kg?

Chet

Yes 100% if the mass was 30kg would the acceleration be equal to what the problem states?
 
Garrett21 said:
Yes 100% if the mass was 30kg would the acceleration be equal to what the problem states?
Yes, pretty close.

chet
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
1K
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
5K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
1K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
1K