Two Objects, Acceleration is Given, Find Tension of rope on frictionless pulley

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the tension in a rope connected to two objects on a frictionless pulley system, where the bottom object has a mass of 8 kg and the top object has a mass of 4 kg. The coefficient of friction between the bottom object and the floor is 0.3, while the coefficient of friction between the two objects is 0.2. Given an acceleration of 4 m/s², the user seeks assistance in determining the tension (T1) in the rope, emphasizing the challenge of solving the problem with acceleration provided rather than needing to calculate it.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Second Law of Motion
  • Knowledge of friction coefficients and their application
  • Familiarity with pulley systems and tension forces
  • Ability to calculate normal and frictional forces
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  • Study the principles of Newton's Second Law in multi-object systems
  • Learn how to calculate tension in pulley systems with multiple masses
  • Explore frictional force calculations using coefficients of friction
  • Review examples of similar physics problems involving acceleration and tension
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Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics, as well as educators and tutors looking for problem-solving strategies in tension and friction scenarios.

spacewrangler
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Picture has two objects, one on top of the other - the bottom object has a mass of 8 kg. The top object has a mass of 4 kg. The coefficient of friction between bottom object and floor is 0.3. The coefficient of friction between the two objects is 0.2. Acceleration is 4 m/s2. A rope is on a pulley starting from bottom box, thru top box. What is Tension?

I have been working on this problem for about two hours. I've found normal force and frictional force for both objects... every problem I've found similar on the internet solves for acceleration... but acceleration is given in this case. Please help find T1.

Must turn in by 4:45. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm extremely frustrated.

-KL
 
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Welcome to PF!

Hi spacewrangler ! Welcome to PF! :smile:

(4:45 which time-zone?)

Sorry, I don't understand what the rope and pulley are doing …

where is the pulley, which direction is the rope going either side of the pulley, and how does the rope avoid obstructing the top box? :confused:
 

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