Two blocks and a pulley, friction

[nbaumann]

Homework Statement

Two masses are connected by a string which passes over a frictionless, massless pulley. One mass hangs vertically and one slides on a horizontal surface. The horizontal surface has a coefficient of kinetic friction 0.2. The vertically hanging mass is 4.0 kg and the mass on the horizontal surface is 6.0 kg. Find the acceleration of the mass.

Homework Equations

T=m_Bg-m_Ba

The Attempt at a Solution

I've basically done this problem without factoring friction, and this my problem, I don't know how to factor friction.

a = (m_Bg)/(m_A + m_B) is what I used.


Thanks!

 

[Hootenanny]

Homework Statement

Two masses are connected by a string which passes over a frictionless, massless pulley. One mass hangs vertically and one slides on a horizontal surface. The horizontal surface has a coefficient of kinetic friction 0.2. The vertically hanging mass is 4.0 kg and the mass on the horizontal surface is 6.0 kg. Find the acceleration of the mass.

Homework Equations

T=m_Bg-m_Ba

The Attempt at a Solution

I've basically done this problem without factoring friction, and this my problem, I don't know how to factor friction.

a = (m_Bg)/(m_A + m_B) is what I used.


Thanks!

Welcome to Physics Forums,

You should look again at the tension in the string, is that the only condition that the tension needs to satisfy? What about the other block?

 

[nbaumann]

Thanks for your reply.

This was really as far as I got. Wouldn't the tension just apply once? As there is only one string?