Two blocks rest in contact on a friction-free horizontal surface
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Two blocks rest in contact on a friction-free horizontal surface. Block 1 has mass M1=3.0kg and block 2 has mass M2=2.0kg. A constant horizontal force of 10N is applied to block 1, pushing both blocks to the right.
(1) Treating both blocks together as a single system, calculate the magnitude of the acceleration of the system’s center of mass.
(2) Draw a clearly labeled free-body diagram for block 1 alone. For each force on your diagram, indicate whether it is internal or external to the combined two-block system used in part (a).
(3) Using your diagram from part (b) and the acceleration found in part (a), determine the magnitude of the contact force that block 2 exerts on block 1.