How Does Tension in a Frictionless Pulley System Behave with Balanced Forces?

[boognish]

1. A 2.0 kg mass sits on a frictionless horizontal surface. The mass is attached by a weightless string running over a frictionless pulley attached to a 1.5 kg mass. An additional string exerts a force on the block on the mass on the surface so that no motion results. Find the tension in each of the strings.



2.



3. I just wonder if this problem is as easy as it seems. Fg on mass 2 is equal to the tension force on mass 2 therefore the tension in string 2 is equal to the weight of the object. If that is the case and there is no acceleration to either mass in the problem the tension force for both strings is equal to the weight of the suspended mass.

 

[TSny]

Sounds right as long as the additional string is pulling horizontally.

 

[boognish]

yea diagram looks like

---------block---------
|
|
|
block

 

[TSny]

Good. Then I think your reasoning is correct!

 

[Nickie]

I can confirm that your understanding of this problem is correct. The tension in each string is equal to the weight of the suspended mass, which is 2.0 kg in this case. This is because the forces acting on the pulley system are balanced, resulting in no acceleration and therefore no change in the tension force. This is a fundamental principle of Newton's Laws of Motion. However, it is always important to double check and make sure all assumptions and calculations are correct in any scientific problem.