How do friction and rotation affect tension in pulley systems?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the impact of friction and rotation on tension in pulley systems. It establishes that when a pulley is not accelerating, the forces acting on it, including the tension from both sides of the rope and the frictional force, must sum to zero. The presence of friction alters the uniform tension in the rope, potentially leading to non-uniform tension. Additionally, the rotation of the pulley further complicates the tension dynamics, necessitating a deeper understanding of these forces.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Basic principles of static and dynamic friction
  • Knowledge of rotational dynamics
  • Familiarity with tension in ropes and cables
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  • Study the effects of friction on tension in pulley systems
  • Explore the principles of rotational dynamics in mechanical systems
  • Learn about static versus kinetic friction and their applications
  • Investigate non-uniform tension scenarios in real-world pulley applications
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[mentor's note: Spilt from https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/tension-questions.852525]

How does friction in a pulley or a rotating pulley change the uniform tension in a rope that was present in an ideal situation? Thanks!
 
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ual8658 said:
[mentor's note: Spilt from https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/tension-questions.852525]

How does friction in a pulley or a rotating pulley change the uniform tension in a rope that was present in an ideal situation? Thanks!

If the pulley is not accelerating, then the total force on it is zero. So what are the forces acting on the pulley? Tension in the rope coming in from one side, tension in the rope coming in from the other side, frictional force... They have to sum to zero.

Note that this is exactly the same procedure that you'd go through with an ideal frictionless pulley as well; it just so happens that in that case the frictional force is zero so doesn't contribute to the sum.
 
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So if there were friction how would the tension be affected? Would it decrease, increase, become non-uniform? And if the pulley itself rotates, how does tension change?
 

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