Two small boxes of mass m and M respectively are tied to theends of a massless string, which runs over two massless,frictionless pulleys attached to opposite edges of a table, asshown below. Assume M > m. At the start the heavier box hangs aheight H above the ground, while the lighter box hovers just abovethe floor. Initially a physics student holds the string in place atthe top of the table with her hand. She then lets go.
Two Small Boxes Of Mass M And M Respectively Are Tied To The Ends Of A Massless String Which Runs Over Two Massless Fr 1 (9.08 KiB) Viewed 44 times
a) Draw a free-body diagram for each of the hanging masses forthe situation after the student has let go. Also indicate thedirection of the net force for each one.
b) Does the tension in the string change when the student letsgo? Explain how you know.
c) Is the magnitude of the acceleration of the heavy box smallerthan, greater than or equal to the magnitude of the acceleration ofthe light box? Explain.
d) Find algebraic expressions in terms of m, M and theacceleration due to gravity g only for the acceleration of heavybox.
e) Using either energy conservation or alternatively yourexpression for the acceleration, find an expression (in terms of m,M, g and H) for the speed with which the heavy box hits theground
M
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