Finding the aceleration of a system

  • Thread starter undividable
  • Start date
  • Tags
    System
In summary, the conversation discusses a problem from a textbook and its solution. The relevant equations are provided and the student's solution is compared to the solution manual. The student's equations are slightly different due to choosing a different positive x direction, but they still reach the same conclusion. However, the student is unsure if their equations are correct and questions if every choice of coordinate system gives the correct answer. The response clarifies that as long as the directions are taken into consideration, any choice of coordinate system will give the correct answer.
  • #1
undividable
24
0

Homework Statement


I uploaded a picture with the problem from the textbook and its solution

Homework Equations


The relevante equations are in the attsmpt at a solution

The Attempt at a Solution


First of all, i understood the solution from the solution manual, but in my solution the only thing that is different is that i choose the positive x direction to be upwards the ramp , which is the oposite direction choosen in the solution manual
With said, i got the following equation for the NET force on each box
T-m1•g=m1•a
T-m2•g•sin55=m2•a
Doing the álgebra, i get a=-7.4, which is in the same direction as the a from the solution, but with a different magnitude, so my question is, are my 2 equations above wrong?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20170828_194657.jpg
    IMG_20170828_194657.jpg
    41.4 KB · Views: 427
  • _20170828_200041.JPG
    _20170828_200041.JPG
    22.3 KB · Views: 447
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
If you choise both masses' positive direction to be up then one accelerates in the negative direction when the other accelerates in the positive direction, i.e., ##a_1 = -a_2##. You can therefore not use ##a_1 = a_2 = a## and must choose which of the accelerations you solve for.
 
  • #3
Orodruin said:
If you choise both masses' positive direction to be up then one accelerates in the negative direction when the other accelerates in the positive direction, i.e., ##a_1 = -a_2##. You can therefore not use ##a_1 = a_2 = a## and must choose which of the accelerations you solve for.
But shouldn't every choice of coordinate system give us a correct awnser?
 
Last edited:
  • #4
It does, but you have to think about the directions. If you do the directions properly, you will get the right answer.
 

1. What is acceleration and how is it defined?

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity over time. It is defined as the change in velocity divided by the change in time.

2. What is the formula for calculating acceleration?

The formula for acceleration is a = (vf - vi) / t, where a is acceleration, vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, and t is time.

3. How do you find the acceleration of a system using a graph?

To find the acceleration of a system using a graph, you can plot the velocity vs. time data and calculate the slope of the line. The slope of the line represents the change in velocity over time, which is the definition of acceleration.

4. What are some common units of acceleration?

Some common units of acceleration include meters per second squared (m/s²), centimeters per second squared (cm/s²), and feet per second squared (ft/s²).

5. How does mass and force affect the acceleration of a system?

Mass and force are directly proportional to acceleration. This means that an increase in mass or force will result in an increase in acceleration, and vice versa.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
952
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
885
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
6K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
718
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
5K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
15
Views
975
Back
Top