A 5-kg mass is attached to a massless cord. The cord is wrapped around a massless pulley, and the other end of the cord is attached to a 3-kg mass. The two masses are released. Find the tension in the cord.
A) 37 N
B) 17 N
C) 29 N
D) 49 N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tension in the cord is equal to the weight of the heavier mass minus the weight of the lighter mass. In this case, the heavier mass is 5 kg and the lighter mass is 3 kg, so the tension in the cord is 5 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 - 3 kg * 9.8 m/s^2 = 19.6 N.

A 5-Kg Mass Is Attached to a Massless Cord