Tension & Pulleys: Force, Acceleration & Magnitude

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the principles of tension and acceleration in a pulley system, specifically using a spring scale to measure force. It concludes that the spring scale measures the tension in the system, which remains constant regardless of the mass differences when two weights are hung. When a larger mass is present, the smaller mass will accelerate downward while the larger mass accelerates upward, demonstrating Newton's second law of motion. The relationship between mass, tension, and acceleration is critical for understanding dynamics in physics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's laws of motion
  • Familiarity with spring scales and their measurement capabilities
  • Basic knowledge of pulley systems and their mechanics
  • Concept of acceleration and its relation to force and mass
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of Newton's second law of motion in detail
  • Explore the mechanics of different types of pulleys and their applications
  • Learn about the calculation of tension in various pulley systems
  • Investigate the effects of mass and acceleration in dynamic systems
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching mechanics, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of forces in pulley systems.

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1) What force does a spring scale measure? (I measured several different masses in different ways using pulleys and the spring scale always came up with the same number of Newtons, is this tension or what?)

2) Why, even when two different sized masses are hanged upon a pulley, the spring scale comes up with the same number of Newtons? What does this say about the tension in the spring?

3) If two masses are hanged upon a pulley and one of them is greater, will the smaller one accelerate? If so, in what direction? What about the bigger one? How do they compare in magnitude, and explain this.
 
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