Double Atwood Machine and tension

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the tension in the strings connected to three masses in a double Atwood machine setup. The user has derived equations for each mass using Newton's second law, indicating that mass A experiences tension minus gravitational force, while mass B and mass C have similar setups. They assume the pulleys are massless and stationary, leading to the conclusion that mass C does not accelerate, which affects the tension calculations. The user also suggests that the tension in the string attached to mass C is double that of mass A. The thread seeks clarification and guidance on the approach to solving the problem accurately.
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Homework Statement


Find the tension in the string attached to mass 1 and mass 3. Find the acceleration of masses 1,2, and 3. The problem looks similar to the attached image except m1 and m2 are leveled. Express the answers in the given quantities and constants. I will call the tension in the string attached to mass A, F^{1}, and the tension attached to mass C, F_{T3}.

http://session.masteringphysics.com/problemAsset/1038667/6/YF-05-85.jpg


Homework Equations


\sumF=ma


The Attempt at a Solution


Well aside from setting up the free body diagrams, I've come up with three equations from Newton's 2nd Law.

For mass A, I have the follow:
m_{1}a_{1}= F_{T1}-m_{1}g
For mass B:
m_{2}a_{2}=F_{T1}-m_{2}g
For mass C:
m_{3}a_{3}=F_{T3}-m_{3}g

The first thing that came to mind were the massless pulleys. I assumed both pulleys do not accelerate as a result. So because of this I also assumed mass 3 does not accelerate either or else the bottom pulley would accelerate. In addition I assumed the tension F_{T3} is equal to 2F_{1}. Any help would be appreciated. If my insights are all wrong feel free to direct me towards an alternate way of approaching this problem. Thanks in advance.
 
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