AQA Mechanics 1 Newtons Laws of motion

Section 2: Connected particles

Exercise
1. Two particles, mass 3 kg and 9 kg respectively, are connected by a light
inextensible string passing over a smooth pulley. Both masses hang vertically.
Find the tension in the string and the acceleration when the system is released
from rest.
2. An engine of mass 60000 kg pulls a truck of mass 12000 kg along a horizontal
track. The engine experiences a resistance to motion of 80 N per kg and the truck
a resistance of 50 N per kg. Given that the train is travelling at a constant speed,
find the driving force of the engine and the tension in the coupling between engine
and truck.
3. A particle of mass 4 kg rests on a smooth horizontal table. It is connected by a
light inextensible string which passes over a smooth pulley at the edge of the table
to a mass of 1.5 kg that hangs freely. The system is released from rest. Find the
acceleration and the tension in the string.
4. An engine of mass 50 tonnes pulls a train of mass 200 tonnes along a horizontal
track. The resistance to the motion for the engine is 3000 N and the resistance to
motion for the train is 7000 N. The engine is exerting a driving force of 60000 N.
Find the acceleration of the system and the tension in the coupling between the
engine and the train.
5. A mass of 10 kg lies on a smooth horizontal table. It is connected by a light
inextensible string passing over a smooth pulley at one side of the table to a mass
of 8 kg that hangs freely. The 10 kg mass is also connected by light inextensible
string passing over a smooth pulley at the opposite edge of the table to a mass of
5 kg that hangs freely also.
(i) Draw a diagram showing all of the forces acting on the three masses
(ii) If the system is released from rest, find the acceleration of the system and the
tensions in the strings.

6. A particle of mass m rests on a smooth horizontal table. It is connected by a light

inextensible string which passes over a smooth pulley at the edge of the table to a
particle of mass m that hangs freely. The system is released from rest. Find the
distance travelled and the speed at the end of the first 0.5 seconds of motion.

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AQA M1 Newtons Laws 2 Exercise

7. A box of mass 6 kg rests on a rough horizontal table and the coefficient of friction
between the box and the table is 0.4. The box is connected by a light inextensible
string passing over a smooth pulley at the edge of the table to a mass of 3 kg
which hangs freely. If the system is released from rest find the distance moved by
the box in the first three seconds of the motion. You may assume that the box does
not reach the pulley.
8. A particle of mass M kg rests on a rough horizontal plane. The coefficient of
friction is 13 . The particle is connected by a light inextensible string passing over a
smooth pulley at the edge of the plane to a mass of m kg which hangs vertically.
(i) Find the condition that the system should remain at rest when released.
The plane is now tilted at an angle of 30 to the horizontal such that the pulley is
at the upper edge of the plane and the mass m still hangs vertically.
(ii) Find the condition that the mass M should not slide down the plane when
released.
(iii)Find the condition that the mass M should not slide up the plane when
released.

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