Pulley question -- Two unequal masses hanging by a string

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BlackBearFCS
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Homework Statement


Diagram of an Atwood machine: a pulley at the top with a rope over it, a small block labeled B on the left and a larger block labeled A on the right, with the problem questions printed on the left.


Homework Equations


F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution


Okay, so this is probably a really dumb question, but I'm stuck for some reason on it. I drew free body diagrams for each block.
For B, there's a small downward arrow for gravity, and a large arrow for tension.
For A, there's a large downward arrow for gravity (equal in magnitude to the tension on B), and a small upward arrow for tension (equal in magnitude to the gravity on B).

Then, to find the acceleration, I summed the net forces on the block B. The Tension in the rope acting on B is equal to 245 N, and the gravitational force on B is equal to 118 N. I found the differenece (127 N), plugged it into the F=ma equation, and got 127/12=10.6 m/s^2. Is this correct?

And how do I find the tension in the rope?

Thanks,
 
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  • Diagram of an Atwood machine: a pulley at the top with a rope over it, a small block labeled B on the left and a larger block labeled A on the right, with the problem questions printed on the left.
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Wait, I think I figured it out:

I think it's (25-12)/(25+12) g = 3.44m/s/s

I still am not sure about Tension though.
 
BlackBearFCS said:
(25-12)/(25+12) g
Yes.
BlackBearFCS said:
not sure about Tension
Consider the forces on one block. You know the acceleration.
 
BlackBearFCS said:

The Attempt at a Solution


For B, there's a small downward arrow for gravity, and a large arrow for tension.
For A, there's a large downward arrow for gravity (equal in magnitude to the tension on B), and a small upward arrow for tension (equal in magnitude to the gravity on B).
No, the tension is the same all along the rope, and this tension acts on both blocks. This is true whenever the pulley and the rope are massless
 
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