Problem 1
An ideal Atwood machine has masses and hanging on opposite sides of a light inextensible string over a frictionless, massless pulley; take as the gravitational acceleration and assume the system is released from rest. The heavier mass moves downward, with both masses having the same acceleration magnitude because the string length is fixed. (a) Find the acceleration. (b) Find the string tension. (c) Find the speed after the heavier mass has descended a distance .
problems.proof.stepOf
problems.proof.analysis
Rearranging the governing relation isolates the first requested result. Keeping the signs explicit also checks that its direction and magnitude are physically sensible.