Alternative approach to analyzing a massless string

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 2K views
Amin2014
Messages
114
Reaction score
3
Consider a massless string which can rotate about a fixed pulley (first picture). The coefficient of static friction is μ. Assuming that the motion is impending, the goal is to find the equation that describes the variation in tension of the string.
( T2/T1 = eμΦ where Φ is the subtended angle.)

The usual method of solving this problem involves writing Newton's law for an infinitesimal element of the string and then integrating. In the second picture I've provided an extract from a different problem. Why can't we apply the solution provided in the second picture to the original problem stated above?
 

Attachments

  • pulley.jpg
    pulley.jpg
    5.7 KB · Views: 439
  • Alternative Solution.png
    Alternative Solution.png
    19.3 KB · Views: 521
Physics news on Phys.org
Here's my own solution:
N Cos β =μ N Sinβ therefore tan β = 1/μ
Writing Σ M = 0 about the point of application of R and taking the radius of the pulley to be r we have :
T2 ( r - rCos β) = T1 (r + r Cosβ)
dividing by r and rearranging:
T2 = T1 (1 + Cosβ) / ( 1 - Cos β)
Which yields a different relation between T1 and T2 than the method of integration.
 

Attachments

  • My solution.png
    My solution.png
    4.6 KB · Views: 421
Amin2014 said:
Consider a massless string which can rotate about a fixed pulley (first picture). The coefficient of static friction is μ. Assuming that the motion is impending, the goal is to find the equation that describes the variation in tension of the string.
( T2/T1 = eμΦ where Φ is the subtended angle.)

The usual method of solving this problem involves writing Newton's law for an infinitesimal element of the string and then integrating. In the second picture I've provided an extract from a different problem. Why can't we apply the solution provided in the second picture to the original problem stated above?
Click on "alternative Solution.png", for better image quality.