Man vs Iron Weight: Understanding Acceleration in UAH PDF

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Emanresu
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Iron Weight
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
Sign up Log in
3 replies · 3K views
Emanresu
Messages
53
Reaction score
0
http://www2.uah.es/jmc/ai14.pdf

On page 2 of the above pdf there is an example in a box with title 'Acceleration'
which states that there is a difference between a man pulling on a rope with 600N force and an iron weight of 60Kg (g = 10) tied to the rope. The difference being that once the system starts moving the iron weight generates less acceleration. I don't understand the explanation given. Could someone please explain in a different way.

Thanks,

E.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What pulls the cart is the tension in the rope. Which case produces the greater tension? Hint: If the cart is accelerating, can the tension equal the weight of the hanging mass?
 
Emanresu said:
http://www2.uah.es/jmc/ai14.pdf

On page 2 of the above pdf there is an example in a box with title 'Acceleration'
which states that there is a difference between a man pulling on a rope with 600N force and an iron weight of 60Kg (g = 10) tied to the rope. The difference being that once the system starts moving the iron weight generates less acceleration. I don't understand the explanation given. Could someone please explain in a different way.

Thanks,

E.

The man keeps applying a force of 600 N.

Now consider the weight as it is falling. What is the tension in the rope? Since the weight is accelerating downward, the tension in the rope has to be less than the iron weight therefore the tension is less than 600 N.
 
Duh ! It seems so obvious now !

Thanks,

E.