Serway & Jewett — The Laws of Motion: Problem 46

In Figure P5.46, the pulleys and the cord are light, all surfaces are frictionless, and the cord does not stretch. (a) How does the acceleration of block 1 compare with the acceleration of block 2? Explain your reasoning. (b) The mass of block 2 is 1.30 kg. Find its acceleration as it depends on the mass \(m_1\) of block 1. (c) What If? What does the result of part (b) predict if \(m_1\) is very much less than 1.30 kg? (d) What does the result of part (b) predict if \(m_1\) approaches infinity? (e) In this last case, what is the tension in the cord? (f) Could you anticipate the answers to parts (c), (d), and (e) without first doing part (b)? Explain.