An Atwood machine consists of a single massless pulley and two masses (if the pulley had mass it would also have inertia and the tensions on either side of the pulley would be different). In the diagram m2 m1. The system is released from rest. Call 'T' the tension in the string. Make a force diagram for each mass. Use algebraic substitution to find the acceleration of the masses and the tension in the string. What is the acceleration of the system if m1=4.3kg and m2=4.8 kg?

Question

An Atwood machine consists of a single massless pulley and two masses (if the pulley had mass it would also have inertia and the tensions on either side of the pulley would be different). In the diagram m2 > m1. The system is released from rest. Call 'T' the tension in the string. Make a force diagram for each mass. Use algebraic substitution to find the acceleration of the masses and the tension in the string. What is the acceleration of the system if m1=4.3kg and m2=4.8 kg?