Placed on a smooth horizontal table, two blocks of equal mass m are connected by a light string. A constant force F is applied to pull one of the blocks along the line connecting them. Determine the tension in the string joining the blocks.

Step-by-step solution

Let the acceleration of the system be a . The total mass of the two blocks is m + m = 2m . Since a constant force F is applied to the system, the acceleration is given by Newton's second law: a = F 2m Let T be the tension in the string. The only horizontal force acting on the trailing block of mass m is the tension T . The equation of motion for the trailing block is: T = ma Substituting the value of a into the equation: T = m ( F 2m ) = F 2