Help me understand a misconception....
Mar. 28th, 2008 05:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asterrocAn interesting situation came up in my Physics class today, where two of my students surprised me with a question they asked. To try and understand their thinking so I can teach the content better, I'd like to ask that everyone take a look at the below situation and tell me what you think will happen. I don't care if you know any physics or if you're a professional ear-wax taster, I want to know what you think and why.
In the picture below, Box 1 (m1) is hanging from a string that passes over a pulley. There's no friction in the pulley, and the pulley has no mass, so it can spin freely. The string is then connected to Box 2 (m2) sitting on a table. For simplicity, let's assume there's no friction on the table - there's some lubrication between the box and the table.
[Poll #1162218]
X-posted a couple places.
In the picture below, Box 1 (m1) is hanging from a string that passes over a pulley. There's no friction in the pulley, and the pulley has no mass, so it can spin freely. The string is then connected to Box 2 (m2) sitting on a table. For simplicity, let's assume there's no friction on the table - there's some lubrication between the box and the table.
[Poll #1162218]
X-posted a couple places.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-29 12:37 am (UTC)but yeah, that is something that is non-obvious that the reader is expected/presumed to know,
And throwing the pulley in throws people off.
I mean if the question was, A force is applied to box 1 so that it accelerates at a rate of 9.81m/s^2, what happens to box 2 in the following scenarios: ex1 ex2 ex3
most people wouldn't get it wrong.