Calculating Tension in a Cord Attached to an Inclined Crate

[chaotixmonjuish]

A wheel of radius R = 10.0 cm is mounted on a frictionless horizontal axis. A massless cord is wrapped around the wheel and attached to a 2.00-kg crate that slides on a frictionless surface inclined at an angle of 27.5° with the horizontal. The crate accelerates down the incline at 3.0 m/s2. What is the tension in the cord?

Is it possible to still work with this since there is no mass attached to the pulley? I'm pretty sure I need to use a moment of inertia equation to calculate the tension.

 

[hage567]

Yes, you can do this without knowing the mass of the pulley.

 

[chaotixmonjuish]

How does this work? I'm having a few problems.

 

[hage567]

You've been given the acceleration of the crate. What's your equation relating the acceleration and tension of the crate (using Newton's second law)?

 

[chaotixmonjuish]

F=ma

Would I have to worry about the circle?

 

[chaotixmonjuish]

T=mg-ma

T=18.6*sin(27.5)-2*3