Two blocks of masses 20 kg and 8 kg are connected together by a light string and rest on a frictionless level surface.Attached to the 8-kg mass is another light string,which a person uses to pull both blocks horizontally.If the two-block system accelerates at 0.5 m/s² what is the tension in the connecting string between the blocks? A)14 N B)6 N C)10 N D)4.0 N

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the surface is frictionless, the tension in the connecting string will be equal to the force applied by the person on the 8-kg mass. Let T be the tension in the string and F be the force applied by the person. Then,

F - T = (20+8)*0.5   // net force = (m1 + m2)*a

F - T = 14     // Simplifying

Therefore, the tension in the connecting string (T) is 10 N (Option C).

Two Blocks of Masses 20 Kg and 8 Kg Are