Newton's Law, tension, blocks, pulleys at an angle, friction

Thread starter gigidy-goo
Start date Nov 20, 2011
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Angle Blocks Friction Law Newton's law Pulleys Tension

In summary, Newton's Laws of Motion consist of three physical laws that describe the behavior of objects. The first law states that objects will remain at rest or in motion unless acted upon by an external force. The second law relates the acceleration of an object to the net force and mass, while the third law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Tension, defined as the pulling force exerted on an object, is affected by the second law and can cause an object to accelerate. When external forces act on blocks, they will accelerate in the direction of the net force, and the direction can change if the net force is not in the same direction as the initial motion. Pulleys at an angle can affect the tension force,

Nov 20, 2011

gigidy-goo

Hi all,
I'm really stumped at this question five of my assignment. Could anyone please give me some help? I don't even know where to start.

Thanks

Last edited: Nov 20, 2011

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Nov 20, 2011

Doc Al

Mentor

Start by drawing yourself free body diagrams for each mass. Apply Newton's 2nd law to each.

(The peg can be thought of as a pulley, if that helps.)

Nov 20, 2011

gigidy-goo

Thanks Doc Al, I'll try that and see how I go

Related to Newton's Law, tension, blocks, pulleys at an angle, friction

1. What are Newton's Laws of Motion?

Newton's Laws of Motion are a set of three physical laws that describe how objects move and interact with each other. The first law states that an object will remain at rest or in motion at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. The second law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it and inversely proportional to its mass. The third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

2. How is tension defined in relation to Newton's Laws?

In relation to Newton's Laws, tension is the pulling force exerted by a string, rope, or cable on an object. According to the second law, the tension force is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. In other words, tension is a force that opposes the weight of an object and causes it to accelerate.

3. How do blocks behave when acted upon by external forces?

When blocks are acted upon by external forces, they will accelerate in the direction of the net force. This is in accordance with Newton's second law, which states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it. The blocks will also experience a change in direction if the net force is not acting in the same direction as their initial motion.

4. How do pulleys at an angle affect the tension force?

When pulleys are at an angle, the tension force is affected by the angle of the pulleys. The tension force on each side of the pulley will be equal if the angle of the pulleys is 90 degrees. However, if the angle is less than 90 degrees, the tension force on one side will be greater than the other side. This is because the angle affects the direction of the force, and the greater the angle, the less force is exerted on the object.

5. How does friction play a role in Newton's Laws?

Friction is a force that opposes motion and is caused by the interaction between two surfaces. In terms of Newton's Laws, friction is a force that acts in the opposite direction of an object's motion. This means that friction can either decrease or increase the net force acting on an object, leading to changes in its acceleration. Additionally, friction can also cause an object to remain at rest if the force of friction is equal to the applied force.