Find the tension in the rope for a system in which there is a block mass of 0.3971kg on a 20 degree incline plane. The coefficient of friction between the block and the plane is 0.2069. On the top of this incline the string that goes around a frictionless pulley, and suspended from the string is a hanging mass of 0.218kg.

Can't figure out how to find the tension of the rope, please help! (please show formulas used to achieve answer, so i can understand this)

Question

Find the tension in the rope for a system in which there is a block mass of 0.3971kg on a 20 degree incline plane. The coefficient of friction between the block and the plane is 0.2069. On the top of this incline the string that goes around a frictionless pulley, and suspended from the string is a hanging mass of 0.218kg. 

Can't figure out how to find the tension of the rope, please help! (please show formulas used to achieve answer, so i can understand this)

kainui · Answer

Tension is just the force inside the rope, and it's F=ma just like normal. Since forces always come in pairs, if you know what one force is downwards, you know there has to be an equal force in the opposing direction. So if you can find the force of the two masses, you can add them to find the tension in the rope.

anonymous · Answer

Draw arrows for the direction of all the forces: the tension and friction on the incline and the component of mg that is in the direction of the incline. Then to the same thing for the mass that's hanging, with the tension arrow pointing up and mg pointing down. Then just add up all the forces in the up down direction into one equation, and the incline direction in another equation. You should be able to solve for the tension with the two equations.

anonymous · Answer

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