Tension is the force exerted by a rope on the body,. .

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SUMMARY

Tension is defined as the force exerted by a massless rope connecting two bodies, always acting to pull rather than push. In scenarios where two blocks are connected by a massless cord, they share a common acceleration only if they are moving in line with the cord. The direction of tension is always inward, as it represents the attractive force pulling the molecules of the rope closer together. When one block accelerates, the tension in the cord ensures that the other block accelerates at the same rate, with the tension quantified as the mass of the block multiplied by the acceleration.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with concepts of force and acceleration
  • Knowledge of massless rope dynamics
  • Basic principles of circular motion
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the implications of Newton's second law in tension scenarios
  • Explore the concept of massless ropes in various physical systems
  • Investigate the effects of tension in circular motion
  • Learn about the mathematical modeling of forces in connected bodies
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Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of forces in connected systems, particularly in mechanics and engineering applications.

sweet-buds
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Tension is the force exerted by a rope on the body,

when a rope(massless) connects 2 bodies on a plane, like 2 blocks , which side is direction of tension?
Tension always pulls a body or rope, never pushes the body or rope.

also, r bodies conected with a massless cord assumed to have common acceleration? if yes, why?
 
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sweet-buds said:
Which side is direction of tension?
Inwards, it's not a side. No matter how small a cross section of rope is examined, the direction of tension is inwards. There is an attractive force trying to pull the molecules of the rope closer together, and the blocks at the ends of the rope are resisting this inwards force.

r bodies conected with a massless cord assumed to have common acceleration?
Not sure what you're getting at here, but only if the blocks are accelerating in a direction that is in line with the cord. One simple example would be to have the center of the cord fixed, while the two blocks "orbit" the center, creating tension equal to mass of one block x v^2 / r. Both blocks would be accelerating "inwards" while orbiting the center. For a linear example, if one block is being accelerated, tension in the cord will cause the other block to accelerate at the same rate, and tension will equal mass of the other block times the rate of acceleration.
 

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