Atwood Machine with a Massive Pulley

← Back to Problems
Rotational Motion Beginner rigid body dynamics

Source: High school physics (Chinese)

Problem Sets:

rigid body discussion set

Problem

A light, inextensible rope passes over a fixed, disk-shaped pulley of mass $m$ and radius $R$. The ends of the rope are attached to objects of mass $m_1$ and $m_2$, with $m_1 > m_2$. The rope does not slip on the pulley, and friction at the pulley's axle is negligible.

  1. Find the acceleration of the two objects.
  2. Find the tension in the rope on each side of the pulley.

[Q1] $a = \frac{(m_1 - m_2)g}{m_1 + m_2 + m/2}$ [Q2] $T_1 = \frac{m_1g(2m_2 + m/2)}{m_1 + m_2 + m/2}$, $T_2 = \frac{m_2g(2m_1 + m/2)}{m_1 + m_2 + m/2}$

Apply Newton's second law to each mass and the rotational equivalent to the pulley. Let $a$ be the linear acceleration of the masses, and $T_1$ and $T_2$ be the tensions on the sides of $m_1$ and $m_2$ respectively. The pulley is a solid disk with moment of inertia $I = \frac{1}{2}mR^2$.

For mass $m_1$ (moving down):

$$m_1g - T_1 = m_1a$$

For mass $m_2$ (moving up):

$$T_2 - m_2g = m_2a$$

For the pulley's rotation, the net torque is $\tau = (T_1 - T_2)R$. Using $\tau = I\alpha$ and the no-slip condition $a = \alpha R$:

$$(T_1 - T_2)R = I\alpha = \left(\frac{1}{2}mR^2\right)\left(\frac{a}{R}\right)$$ $$T_1 - T_2 = \frac{1}{2}ma$$

Solving the three linear equations for $a, T_1,$ and $T_2$: Subtract the equation for $m_2$ from the equation for $m_1$:

$$(m_1g - T_1) - (T_2 - m_2g) = m_1a - m_2a$$ $$(m_1 + m_2)g - (T_1 + T_2) \rightarrow \text{This is not helpful.}$$

Instead, substitute for $T_1$ and $T_2$ into the torque equation. From the first two equations, $T_1 = m_1(g-a)$ and $T_2 = m_2(g+a)$.

$$m_1(g-a) - m_2(g+a) = \frac{1}{2}ma$$ $$(m_1 - m_2)g = \left(m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m\right)a$$ $$a = \frac{(m_1 - m_2)g}{m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m}$$

Substitute $a$ back to find the tensions:

$$T_1 = m_1(g-a) = m_1g\left(1 - \frac{m_1 - m_2}{m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m}\right) = \frac{m_1g(2m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m)}{m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m}$$ $$T_2 = m_2(g+a) = m_2g\left(1 + \frac{m_1 - m_2}{m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m}\right) = \frac{m_2g(2m_1 + \frac{1}{2}m)}{m_1 + m_2 + \frac{1}{2}m}$$