Two lab carts are connected by a light string on a level
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
Two lab carts are connected by a light string on a level, nearly frictionless track. Cart 1 has mass 3.0kg and Cart 2 has mass 5.0kg. A horizontal force of constant magnitude 24N is exerted on Cart 1 by pulling it with a rope aligned with the track. A force sensor is inserted in the string between the carts so that it records the tension in the string while the system accelerates.
Assume the carts begin from rest.
(a) Determine the magnitude of the acceleration of the two-cart system.
(b) Calculate the reading shown by the force sensor (the string tension) while the carts are accelerating.
(c) Suppose instead that the force sensor is placed in the rope that the experimenter pulls (between the experimenter’s hand and Cart 1) while the string between the carts remains light and ideal. What value would the sensor now record? Briefly explain your reasoning.