1.

As part a of the drawing shows, two blocks are connected by a rope that passes over a set
of pulleys. The block 1 has a weight of 400 N, and the block 2 has a weight of 600 N. The rope
and the pulleys are massless and there is no friction.

(a) What is the acceleration of the lighter block?

(b) Suppose that the heavier block is removed, and a downward force of 600 N is provided by
someone pulling on the rope, as part b of the drawing shows. Find the acceleration of the remaining
block.

Solution:
(a) The acceleration of the lighter block is equal by magnitude to the acceleration of the other block. If
the tension of the rope is T, then the equations of motion for block 1 and block 2 are the following:

Then

and

(b) In this case the tension of the rope is given: T = 800N. Then the second Newton's law for block 1
becomes:
2. Part a of the drawing shows a block suspended from the pulley; the tension in the rope is 80
N. Part b shows the same block being pulled up at a constant velocity. What is the tension in
the rope in part b ?

Solution:
In part (a) the equilibrium condition can be written as:

In part (b) we have the motion with constant velocity. It means that the acceleration is 0 and the net
force is 0, which can be written as

From these two equations we can find

3. A block weighing 80 N rests on a plane inclined at 30 degrees to the horizontal. The

coefficients of static and kinetic friction are 0.2 and 0.1 respectively. What is the minimum
magnitude of the force F, parallel to the plane, that will prevent the block from slipping?

Solution:
The minimum force corresponds to the condition that the static friction force has the maximum value,
which is 0.2*normal force. To find the normal force and the external force we need to write down the
condition of equilibrium: the net force is 0. Then we rewrite this equation in terms of x and y-
components (x axis is parallel to the plane).

The x-component of the second Newton's law has the form:

The y-component:

Then since , we obtain

Then

4. The speed of a bobsled is increasing because it has an acceleration of 3m/s. At a given

instant in time, the forces resisting the motion, including kinetic friction and air resistance,
total 500 N. The mass of the bobsled and its riders is 300 kg.
(a) What is the magnitude of the force propelling the bobsled forward?
(b) What is the magnitude of the net force that acts on the bobsled?

Solution:
The net force in the sum of two forces – friction (and air resistance) force and the force propelling the
bobsled forward. There are also normal force and gravitational force, but they cancel each other.
Then

The net force provides an acceleration of the bobsled. Then

Then we can find the force :

5. Is it easier to move a heavy box that is sitting on the ground by (a) pulling the box from a
rope that makes an angle with the surface or (b) by pushing the box with a force that
makes the same angle (but pointing downwards) with the surface?

Solution:
In both cases the horizontal components of the tension force in the rope will be the same, but the
vertical components will have opposite direction.

Then the normal force in the case (a) will be less than the normal force in case (b).

Then the friction force (which is proportional to the normal force) will be less in case (a) then in case
(b).

Then it is easier to pull the box (case (a)) then to push it (case (b)).
6. A crane cable that is capable of withstanding 22,000 N is attached by a hook to a 2,000 kg block
that is resting on the ground. The cable initially starts lifting the block at the maximum acceleration
that the cable can withstand for 4 sec. It then continues to raise the block at constant velocity for
further 2 sec. At this time the block slips off the hook at the end of the cable.
Calculate:

(1) the tension in the cable when the block is moving at constant velocity;

(2) the maximum acceleration that the cable can withstand;

(3) the maximum height that the block reaches above ground.

Solution:

(1) When the block is moving at constant velocity the acceleration of the block is 0. Then from the
second Newton's law we get that the net force on the block is 0:

There are two forces acting on the block: gravitation force, pointing upward, and the tension in the
cable. The forces have opposite directions, then the magnitude of the forces should be the same (the
vector sum of these two forces is zero):

Therefore the tension in the cable is 19600 N.

(2) The maximum acceleration should be found from the condition that the tension in the cable has its
maximum value (22000 N). There are two forces acting on the block: gravitation force and the tension
in the cable. Then the second Newton's law takes the form:

Then we rewrite this vector equation in terms of y-components (see figure below):

Then
 (3) In the part we need to use the kinematics equations. First we have motion with constant
acceleration (we know its value from part (2)). The equations, which describe this motion, are the
following:

The initial velocity is zero: , the initial height is zero: . Then we have

The block travels . Then at this moment

Then the block moves with constant velocity. This velocity is . The block travels for 2
seconds. The corresponding distance is

Then the final height of the block is

7. Find the acceleration of 10 kg block shown in the figure. The coefficient of kinetic friction
between the surface and 10 kg block is 0.3.

Solution:
This problem is similar to problem 78, but now, we have friction between the 10 kg block and the
surface.
We show all forces acting on blocks and write down the corresponding equations.

1. 10 kg block. The acceleration of the block is pointing to the right.

The forces acting on the block are shown in the figure below.

These forces are

- gravitational force, ( );
- normal force .
- kinetic friction .
- tension in the rope, .
Then the second Newton’s law for the 10 kg block is

We rewrite this equation in terms of x and y components (see figure):

x-component:
..................................................(1)
 y-component:
.................................................... (2)
From equation (2) we can find the normal force:

Now we can find the kinetic friction force

We substitute this value into equation (1) and obtain

.................................................(3)

2. 20 kg block. The acceleration of the block is pointing downward, but it is not the same
acceleration as for the 10 kg block.
The block are connected by a pulley (see figure).

Then the displacement of the 20 kg block is twice smaller than the corresponding displacement of
the 10 kg block. The acceleration is also twice smaller:

.........................................................(4)
The forces acting on the 20 kg block are shown in the figure above. These forces are
- gravitational force, ( );
- tension in the rope, .
Then the second Newton’s law for the 20 kg block is

We rewrite this equation in terms of y components (see figure):

y-component:
................................................ (5)
We substitute expression (3) into equation (4):

...............................................(6)
 Next, we need to find the relation between the tensions and . To find this relation we need to
write down the equation of motion of the pulley. Since the pulley is massless then the net force acting
on this pulley is zero. There are three forces acting on the pulley (see figure): tension pointing
downward and two tensions pointing upward. Then

And

We substitute this relation in equation (6) and obtain

............................................ (7)
Finally, we have a system of two equations (3) and (7) with two unknown variables (tension and
acceleration ):

Or

We substitute expression for (in terms of acceleration) into the second equation and obtain

Then

8. Find the acceleration of 10 kg block (see figure). The surface is frictionless.

Solution:
 We need to show all forces acting on two blocks and write down the corresponding equations (the second
Newton’s law).
1. 10 kg block. The acceleration of the block is pointing to the right.
The forces acting on the block are shown in the figure.

These forces are

- gravitational force, ( );

- normal force .

- tension in the rope, .

Then the second Newton’s law for the 10 kg block is

We rewrite this equation in terms of x and y components (see figure):

x-component:

....................................................(1)
y-component:

..................................................(2)

2. 30 kg block. The acceleration of the block is pointing downward, but it is not the same acceleration as the
acceleration of the 10 kg block. The block are connected by a pulley (see figure).

Then the displacement of the 10 kg block is twice smaller than the corresponding displacement of the 30 kg
block. The acceleration is also twice smaller:

........................................................(3)
 The forces acting on the 30 kg block are shown in the figure. These forces are

- gravitational force, ( );

- tension in the rope, .

Then the second Newton’s law for the 20 kg block is

We rewrite this equation in terms of y components (see figure):

y-component:

............................................... (4)
We substitute expression (3) into equation (4):

............................................ (5)

Next, we need to find the relation between the tensions and . To find this relation we need to write
down the equation of motion of the pulley. Since the pulley is massless then the net force acting on this pulley
is zero. There are three forces acting on the pulley (see figure): tension pointing to the left and two
forces pointing to the right. Then

And

We substitute this relation in equation (5) and obtain

............................................(6)

Finally, we have a system of two equations (1) and (6) with two unknown variables (tension and
acceleration ):

We substitute expression for (in terms of acceleration) into the second equation and obtain

Then