Solving a Tension Problem with 9 kg Handing Weight & 5 kg Block

  • Thread starter Thread starter tristan_fc
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Tension
AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around solving a tension problem involving a 9 kg hanging weight and a 5 kg block on a table, with a coefficient of kinetic friction of 0.187. The original poster is confused about how to calculate the tension in the string, mistakenly believing that friction increases tension. However, it is clarified that if there were no friction, the block would move freely, resulting in no tension in the rope. The correct understanding is that the tension in the rope is equal to the friction force opposing the motion of the block. The conversation emphasizes the importance of accurately accounting for forces in tension problems.
tristan_fc
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
I believe that I was late the day my instructor explained this type of problem in class, and my textbook is worthless, so I thought I would give this a shot. It's just a tension problem, but I don't know for sure how to do it.

A 9.00 kg handing weight is connected by a string over a pulley to a 5.00 kg block that is sliding on a flat table. If the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.187, find the tension in the string.

I believe that tension is the sum of all forces on the rope correct? I recall my teacher saying that we could turn a similar problem into a problem on the X-axis by making gravity a force pulling on the block in the x-direction. Anyway, I thought that I would just do 9*9.8+-(5*0.187), but that didn't seem right to me because it would seem that a frictional force would increase the tension and not decrease it? I appreciate any help.

-Tristan
 
Physics news on Phys.org
eh... I posted my question in the wrong section and they moved it here. I'm actually in Engineering Physics I in college, but I guess it doesn't matter where the question is if I get help.
 
Yes, frictional force would increase tension, not decrease it.
However, if there were NO friction force, there would be NO tension on the rope, not the "9*9.9" you have. If there were no friction force the block would move freely. The tension on the rope IS the friction force.
 
Thread 'Voltmeter readings for this circuit with switches'
TL;DR Summary: I would like to know the voltmeter readings on the two resistors separately in the picture in the following cases , When one of the keys is closed When both of them are opened (Knowing that the battery has negligible internal resistance) My thoughts for the first case , one of them must be 12 volt while the other is 0 The second case we'll I think both voltmeter readings should be 12 volt since they are both parallel to the battery and they involve the key within what the...
Thread 'Trying to understand the logic behind adding vectors with an angle between them'
My initial calculation was to subtract V1 from V2 to show that from the perspective of the second aircraft the first one is -300km/h. So i checked with ChatGPT and it said I cant just subtract them because I have an angle between them. So I dont understand the reasoning of it. Like why should a velocity be dependent on an angle? I was thinking about how it would look like if the planes where parallel to each other, and then how it look like if one is turning away and I dont see it. Since...
Back
Top