Background Research

Keywords (INVOLVES MOTION)

• Mass Potential equations: T= m₁g + m₁a (Finding Tension)
• Acceleration m₂g - m₁g - m₁a = m₂a
• Pulleys (m₂ - m₁)g = (m₁ + m₂) a or a = (m₂-m₁)g / (m₁ + m₂)
• Laws of Motion (Equation for motion)
• Motion
• Inertia
• Free-body
• Dynamics

Atwood’s machine was invented George Atwood, an English mathematician, in 1784. The machine consists of two masses, m₁ and m₂, and a pulley. If m₁ is smaller than m₂ in mass, m₂ will accelerate downward and m₁ will accelerate upward. If the string is tight and does not experience stretching, both m₁ and m₂ will encounter the same and same acceleration and can be considered a single system. The acceleration of the machine is considered based on m₁ and m₂, from both the difference and the sum of the two masses.

Newton’s Second Law - This law helps determine the acceleration an object will travel based on a given net force.

You’re net force includes all your total forces applied on an object while a simple force is a push or pull on an object as an individual.

Law of Inertia - An object will preserve its same velocity and direction as long as no opposing force acts upon it.

• Measurements in Newtons

Newton’s Second Law

a=ΣF/m F= ma

The string is assumed to be negligible mass.

The tension and acceleration of these two systems are the same because of their connection to the same string.

BIG PICTURE

• Force
• Tension
• Mass
• Newton
• Gravity
• Inertia
• Velocity
• Time
• Speed
• Acceleration