What is the acceleration of the mass along the table?

In summary, the problem involves a 10.0 kg mass on a frictionless table being accelerated by a 5.0 kg mass hanging over the edge of the table. To find the acceleration of the mass along the table, a free body diagram is needed for each mass and Newton's second law must be used. The total net force and total mass of the system must be determined to find the acceleration. Tension in the cord between the two masses must also be taken into account.
  • #1
lennyp
4
0

Homework Statement


A 10.0 kg mass, m1, on a frictionless table is accelerated by a 5.0 kg mass, m2, hanging over the edge of the table. What is the acceleration of the mass along the table?

Homework Equations


F=ma
W=mg


The Attempt at a Solution


Can someone atleast point me in the right direction?
 
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  • #2
lennyp said:

Homework Statement


A 10.0 kg mass, m1, on a frictionless table is accelerated by a 5.0 kg mass, m2, hanging over the edge of the table. What is the acceleration of the mass along the table?

Homework Equations


F=ma
W=mg


The Attempt at a Solution


Can someone atleast point me in the right direction?
You need to draw a free body diagram of each mass, and note that the tension in the cord between the 2 masses have the same magnitude of pull on each mass, and that each mass must have the same magnitude of acceleration. You'll have to solve 2 equations with 2 unknowns and use Newton's second law. Please show some of your work so we can assist further.
 
  • #3
since there is no friction will it move at the same speed as the 5 kg object and since the 5 kg object is hanging its moving at 9.8 m/s squared?
 
  • #4
no... consider the two objects as a whole system. what is the total net force and total mass?
then from there and:
[tex]F_{\text{net}}=M_{\text{total}}a[/tex]
you will find the acceleration.
 
  • #5


Fg=mg=5kgx9.8m/s^2
and F=mg=ma so a=f:10kg
 
  • #6


lennyp said:
since there is no friction will it move at the same speed as the 5 kg object and since the 5 kg object is hanging its moving at 9.8 m/s squared?

Even if there was friction, both will move with same speed. And 9.8 m/s2 is just acceleration die to gravity, you forgot to include tension!
 

1. What is acceleration?

Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

2. How is acceleration calculated?

Acceleration can be calculated by dividing the change in an object's velocity by the time it took for the change to occur. The formula for acceleration is a = (vf - vi) / t, where a is acceleration, vf is final velocity, vi is initial velocity, and t is time.

3. What is the difference between acceleration and velocity?

Velocity is the rate of change of an object's displacement over time, while acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity over time. In other words, velocity represents an object's speed and direction of motion, while acceleration represents how quickly an object's velocity is changing.

4. How is acceleration related to force and mass?

According to Newton's second law of motion, force is equal to mass times acceleration (F = ma). This means that the more mass an object has, the more force is required to accelerate it. Similarly, the greater the acceleration, the greater the force acting on the object.

5. What factors can affect the acceleration of an object?

The acceleration of an object can be affected by various factors such as the force acting on the object, the mass of the object, and the surface on which the object is moving. Other factors that can affect acceleration include air resistance, friction, and the object's shape and size.

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