Tension on string pulling up water

AI Thread Summary
To find the tension in the string pulling a 6-kg bucket of water with an upward acceleration of 3 m/s², apply Newton's second law, F = T - mg = ma. The gravitational force acting on the bucket is calculated using g = 9.8 m/s², and the weight is represented as -mg in the formula. When the acceleration is downward, the tension formula changes to T = mg - ma. Understanding these formulas is crucial for solving tension-related problems in physics. This discussion clarifies how to correctly apply Newton's laws to determine tension in various scenarios.
sfgradv
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A 6-kg of water is being pulled straight up by a string. The upward acceleration of the bucket is constant, with magnitude 3 m/s^2

I need to find Tension. I have a problem getting the formula for this question. Can someone please help me? Thanks!
 
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The "formula" you need is Newton's 2nd law. To apply it, you'll need to identify the forces acting on the bucket of water.
 
Is it F = T-mg=ma?
 
Exactly right.
 
Am I supposed to plug in -9.8 since gravity is pulling it down or 9.8 since the negetive is already in the formula for g?
 
g = 9.8 m/s^2; the negative sign is already in the formula by putting the weight as "-mg".
 
What if the acceleration is downwards? Would it be T = mg - ma?

Does anyone know?
 
Last edited:
sfgradv said:
What if the acceleration is downwards? Would it be T = mg - ma?
That's correct.
 

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