Finding the acceleration of a pulley system

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the acceleration of a pulley system involving Mass A (400g) on a ramp and Mass B (300g) suspended in the air, with the ramp inclined at 12 degrees. The derived equation for acceleration is given as (mass of A * gravity - mass of B * sin[degree]) / (mass of A + mass of B). However, the equation does not account for friction, which is crucial for accurate calculations. Participants emphasize the importance of using free body diagrams and Newton's laws to analyze forces acting on each mass instead of relying on potentially incorrect equations from previous problems.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Knowledge of free body diagrams
  • Basic principles of pulley systems
  • Friction concepts in physics
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  • Study how to create and analyze free body diagrams for pulley systems
  • Learn about the effects of friction on inclined planes
  • Explore advanced applications of Newton's laws in dynamic systems
  • Investigate the role of gravity in pulley systems and its calculations
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Students and educators in physics, engineers designing mechanical systems, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of pulley systems and the impact of friction on motion.

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1. A pulley system consists of Mass A (400g) on a wooden ramp being pulled by Mass B (300g) which is suspended in the air. The board is placed on a table at an angle of 12 degrees. The following values are for the system: Hypotenuse(Length of board): 50cm, Height from table to board (a from pythagoren thereom): 15cm and table length (b from PT): 48cm and the height of the table is 37 cm. Calculate the acceleration of the system



2. I have a derived equation from a previous question:
[itex]\frac{acceleration of system= (mass of A)(gravity)-mass of b(sin [degree])}{mass of a + mass of b}[/itex]




3. I have a good idea what to do, but just because the equation I have does not account for friction and this one does so I am not sure what to do for it. How would I incorportate friction? Thanks, I am getting frustrated
 
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physicskills said:
1. A pulley system consists of Mass A (400g) on a wooden ramp being pulled by Mass B (300g) which is suspended in the air. The board is placed on a table at an angle of 12 degrees. The following values are for the system: Hypotenuse(Length of board): 50cm, Height from table to board (a from pythagoren thereom): 15cm and table length (b from PT): 48cm and the height of the table is 37 cm. Calculate the acceleration of the system



2. I have a derived equation from a previous question:
[itex]\frac{acceleration of system= (mass of A)(gravity)-mass of b(sin [degree])}{mass of a + mass of b}[/itex]




3. I have a good idea what to do, but just because the equation I have does not account for friction and this one does so I am not sure what to do for it. How would I incorportate friction? Thanks, I am getting frustrated
It is a very bad idea to use equations obtained from one problem and apply them to another. Especially when the equation is wrong to begin with. Instead, use free body diagrams for each mass to identify all forces acting, then use Newton's laws. Your calculation for the height of the board above the tabletop is also not correct. I don't see friction noted anywhere.
 

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