Tension of string between two blocks

[stosw]

Homework Statement

a 3.4 kg block A and 6.0 kg block Bvec are connected by a string of negligable mass. Force FA = (12 N) acts on block A; force FB = (24 N) acts on block B. What is the tension in the string?

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2610/imagepn.jpg

Homework Equations

F=ma

The Attempt at a Solution

I've tried adding the forces given because they're in the same direction. I've tried subtracting the forces, but that's obviously not how to go about doing this problem.

I've solved the acceleration for each block, but I honestly don't know what to do for this problem. Could someone give a hint or two at what to do? Thanks.

 

[kellenm]

Do your some of forces for the x and y direction for both boxes.

Force of tension=mass1*a

 

[tomcue]

I would approach this problem by first considering the forces acting on each block individually. We know that there is a force of 12 N acting on block A and a force of 24 N acting on block B. These forces are in the same direction and therefore will result in a net force acting on the system.

Next, I would use Newton's second law, F=ma, to determine the acceleration of each block. We know the mass of each block, so we can calculate the acceleration of each block using the given forces.

Once we have the acceleration of each block, we can use the concept of Newton's third law, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, to determine the tension in the string. The tension in the string will be the same for both blocks, as the string is connected and cannot stretch or compress.

To determine the tension in the string, we can use the equation F=ma for each block, substituting in the calculated acceleration and mass, and solving for the tension in the string. This will give us the total tension in the string between the two blocks.

In summary, to solve this problem, we need to consider the forces acting on each block individually, use Newton's second law to determine the acceleration of each block, and use Newton's third law to determine the tension in the string.