Forest UCM NLM AtwoodMachine

Simple Atwood's machine

[math]\Rightarrow T = \frac{2m_1m_2}{m_1+m_2} g[/math]

Double Atwood's machine

The problem

Determine the acceleration of each mass in the above picture.

Step 1: Identify the system

Each block is a separate system with two external forces; a gravitational force and the rope tension.

Step 2: Choose a suitable coordinate system

A coordinate system with one axis that defines the posive direction as up is one possible orientation.

Step 3: Draw the Free Body Diagram

200 px

Step 5: Use Newton's second law

Forest_UCM_NLM#Atwoods_Machine