Determining the forces acting on a system

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on understanding the forces acting on a system involving tension and friction in a pulley setup. The participant expresses confusion regarding the presence of three tension forces and the role of friction between the hands and the rope. It is clarified that, according to Newton's third law, the tension in a rope remains constant if the pulleys are frictionless. The participant is encouraged to analyze the force diagram to better comprehend the interactions at play.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Third Law of Motion
  • Basic knowledge of tension forces in physics
  • Familiarity with pulley systems and their mechanics
  • Concept of friction and its effects on force interactions
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of tension in ropes and cables
  • Learn about the mechanics of friction in physical systems
  • Explore the role of pulleys in force distribution
  • Review force diagrams and their applications in physics problems
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics, as well as educators seeking to clarify concepts related to forces in pulley systems.

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Homework Statement


Explain why the force diagram is as shown:

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[h2]Homework Equations[/h2][h2]The Attempt at a Solution[/h2]
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For the system, the gravity vector makes sense. However, I don not understand exactly why there are three tension forces. First of all, to me, it would seem that the first force is the force due to friction between the person's hands and the rope. I do not see what the force has to do with tension. Second of all, why are there two tension forces where the bottom pulley is? Shouldn't there only be one? How come there are two? I doon't really understand how tension works, so it is confusing me.
 

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The hands versus the rope: think Newton's third law.

For the second question, consider that the tension along a rope must the the same (assuming the pulleys are frictionless), otherwise it would move
 

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