Atwood's machine, 1G10.40

Topic and Concept:

• Newton's Second Law, [:Newtons2NDLaw#ForceMassAndAcceleration: 1G10. Force, Mass, and Acceleration]

Location:

• Cabinet: [:MechanicsCabinet:Mechanic (ME)]

• Floor Item

• East Wall

attachment:LargeAtwood-14-400.jpg

Abstract:

Two equal masses are hung from a pulley. A small amount of mass is added to the hanging weight on the front side. A timer is used of measure the free fall time of the the front mass over a distance of one meter.

Important Setup Notes:

• N/A

Setup and Procedure:

1. List steps for setup then procedure.
2. ...

Cautions, Warnings, or Safety Concerns:

• N/A

Discussion:

Before the extra weight is added to the front mass, the two masses are equal and therefore the tension in the string is equal to the weight of one mass. Thus, the net force on each block is zero and they remain stationary. Once a small amount of weight is added to the front block, the net amount of force on each block will be the weight of the added mass. The direction of the net forces will be different for each mass. The rear mass will move upward since the tension is greater than its weight. Likewise, the front mass will move downward since its total weight is greater than the upward tension. Since the added mass is small, the acceleration of the system will be small.

Videos:

• [https://www.youtube.com/user/LectureDemostrations/videos?view=1 Lecture Demonstration's Youtube Channel]

References:

• [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atwood_machine Atwood Machine - Wikipedia]

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