Tension Equal in Pulley System w/ 2 Strings

AI Thread Summary
In a pulley system with two strings and different masses, the tension in each string is equal due to the equilibrium of forces acting on the masses. The discussion highlights that tension can vary in a single string if it passes over multiple pulleys, leading to different directional forces. However, within a single segment of a string, the tension remains constant. The concept of tension being uniform applies as long as there are no additional forces acting on the string segments. Understanding these principles is crucial for analyzing more complex pulley systems.
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This is a general question...

Given a pulley system that consists of one pulley and 2 strings--each with a mass hanging from it. One mass is 3kg, the other is 4kg. In class we concluded that the tension on each string was equal--why?
 
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Arent they attached to the same string?

Can you have two different tension forces on one string?
(Hint)
 
Oh I see. What if you had one string along 2 pulleys? (So then the string is going upwards for 2 parts of the string, and downwards for 1 part of the string). Then is the tension along the whole string just T, or for 2 parts it is T, and the other part it is -T?
 
AS long as the same string is being used the tension force is the same
 

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