Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]PhysicsNewton's Laws of Motion
Determine the acceleration of the block of mass M for the setup shown in the figure. Assume that all surfaces are frictionless and the pulleys and string are light.
Options
- Ag 3 up the plane
- Bg 2 up the plane
- Cg 4 up the plane
- Dg 3 down the plane
Correct answer
A. g 3 up the plane
Step-by-step solution
Let T be the tension in the string. The block of mass M is pulled up the incline by a single string, so the tension force acting on it is T . The movable pulley is supported by two segments of the same string, so the total upward force on it is 2T . Let the downward acceleration of the block of mass 2M be a . By string constraint, if the movable pulley moves downwards by a distance x , it requires 2x length of string. This string comes from the portion on the incline, meaning the block of mass M must move up the in