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This isn't a joke, I really don't know if this is right or wrong. Please let me know if this is wrong so I can learn what I am not getting right.
Three different sets of boxes are being pulled along frictionless surfaces attached to a rope that ends with the rightmost box, accelerating toward the left. All the boxes are identical, and the accelerations are as follows
1) 3a for one box (box is called a)
2) 2a for two boxes (from left to right, called b and c)
3) a for 3 boxes (from left to right, called d, e, and f)
Rank the magnitude of the tension in these ropes from largest to smallest.
force is mass times acceleration.
magnitude means absolute value
tension=magnitude of the pulling force exerted by a string, cable, chain, or similar object on another object
This is my first point of confusion. What do they mean by magnitude of the tension? If tension is already a magnitude then what are they asking for?
If the boxes are identical, then their masses should be the same. If that is correct, then it seems like the ropes would have the following tensions:
1) m(3a)
2) 2m(2a)
3) 3m (a)
It seems like the answer may be that 2 has the most and (1 and 3) are equal to each other but less than 2.
Is that right, can I just add the forces together like that and compare them? Or is this wrong?
Homework Statement
Three different sets of boxes are being pulled along frictionless surfaces attached to a rope that ends with the rightmost box, accelerating toward the left. All the boxes are identical, and the accelerations are as follows
1) 3a for one box (box is called a)
2) 2a for two boxes (from left to right, called b and c)
3) a for 3 boxes (from left to right, called d, e, and f)
Rank the magnitude of the tension in these ropes from largest to smallest.
Homework Equations
force is mass times acceleration.
magnitude means absolute value
tension=magnitude of the pulling force exerted by a string, cable, chain, or similar object on another object
This is my first point of confusion. What do they mean by magnitude of the tension? If tension is already a magnitude then what are they asking for?
The Attempt at a Solution
If the boxes are identical, then their masses should be the same. If that is correct, then it seems like the ropes would have the following tensions:
1) m(3a)
2) 2m(2a)
3) 3m (a)
It seems like the answer may be that 2 has the most and (1 and 3) are equal to each other but less than 2.
Is that right, can I just add the forces together like that and compare them? Or is this wrong?
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