Physics (10th Edition)

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118486897
ISBN 13: 978-1-11848-689-4

Chapter 9 - Rotational Dynamics - Problems - Page 249: 80

Answer

The mass of the pulley is $22kg$.

Work Step by Step

Let's call the tension in the rope pulling the 11-kg block $T_1$ and the tension in the rope pulling the 44-kg block $T_2$. Both point upward. The 44-kg block falls downward with $a=1/2\times9.8=4.9m/s^2$. Therefore, $$mg-T_2=ma$$ $$T_2=m(g-a)=(44kg)(9.8-4.9)m/s^2=215.6N$$ The 11-kg block is pulled upward with similar acceleration $a=4.9m/s^2$. Therefore, $$T_1-mg=ma$$ $$T_1=m(g+a)=(11kg)(9.8+4.9)m/s^2=161.7N$$ The pulley's radius is denoted as $R$. Since there is rotation in the pulley, both $T_1$ and $T_2$ produce torques with lever arm $R$ $$\sum\tau=T_2R-T_1R=I\alpha$$ The pulley is considered a solid cylindrical disk, so $I=\frac{1}{2}M_{pulley}R^2$. We also have $\alpha=\frac{a}{R}$ $$T_2R-T_1R=\frac{1}{2}MR^2\times\frac{a}{R}=\frac{1}{2}MaR$$ $$T_2-T_1=\frac{1}{2}Ma$$ $$M=\frac{2(T_2-T_1)}{a}=22kg$$
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