Analysis of a system of two masses linked by a rope with variable tension including a friction force
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31349/RevMexFisE.22.020206Keywords:
Newton's laws, Mechanics, Variable tensionAbstract
The effect of a friction force on a system consisting of a two masses connected by a rope passing over a frictionless pulley is investigated. One mass slides on a horizontal surface with friction while the other mass moves vertically. The motion equation is obtained and its numerical solution is computed using the GNU Octave package. The experimental data are obtained using a data acquisition system and the Tracker video analyser. The graphs are made using the Origin software. The vertical position of one of the masses in function of the time can be represented by an exponential expression of the form y(t)=a bt. The comparison between theoretical an experimental results gives that the lowest average relative error is obtained with the Tracker.
References
R. A. Serway and J. W. Jewett, Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, 10th ed. (Cengage, Boston, 2019)
R. A. Serway and J. W. Jewett, Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics Instructor Solutions Manual, 9th ed. (Cengage Learning, Boston, 2014)
F. A. González and M. Martínez Hernández, Problemas de física general, 1st ed. (Tebar Florez, España, 1978)
H. C. Ohanian and J. T. Markert, Physics for Engineers and Scientists, 3rd ed. (W. W. Norton & Company, NY, 2007)
R. C. Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics - Dynamics, 15th ed. (Pearson, Reino Unido, 2022)
W. F. Riley, L. D. Sturges, Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics, 2nd ed. (John Wiley and Sons, Australia, 1996)
N. Lerman, Open-Ended Problem Instruction in General Physics, Am. J. Phys. 32 (1964) 927, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1970026
S. Mak, Extreme values problems in mechanics without calculus, Am. J. Phys. 55 (1987) 929, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.14907
D. Sütt, Elementary discussion of an optimization problem concerning friction, Phys. Educ. 29 (1994) 249, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0031-9120/29/4/013
W. H. Van den Berg, The best angle for dragging a box, Phys. Teach. 38 (2000) 506, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1329099
W. J. Leonard, Dragging a Box: The representation of constraints and the constraint of representations, Phys. Teach. 39 (2001) 412, https://doi.org/10.1119/1.1416311
D. Benítez, H. J. Herrera-Suárez and J. H. Muñoz, Symmetry in the System of Two Blocks Connected by a String with Variable Tension, Rev. Cub. Phys. 36 (2019) 139
A. F. García, The best angle to drag a block, http://www.sc.ehu.es/sbweb/fisica3/dinamica/arrastra/arrastra.html
H. J. Herrera-Suárez, M. Machado-Higuera and J. H. Muñoz, Phys. Educ. 55 (2020) 055022, https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/ab9956
C. E. Mungan, Comment on ’Two blocks connected by a string with variable tension: a dynamic case’, Phys. Educ. 56 (2021) 028001, https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/abd10b
GNU Octave: Scientific Programming Language, https://octave.org/
Tracker: Copyright (c) 2020 Douglas Brown, https://physlets.org/tracker/
OriginLab Corporation, https://ww.originlab.com/
PHYWE https://www.phywe.com/physics/mechanics/dynamics-motion/air-track-complete 9002 9933/
RADWAG Balances and Scales. https://radwag.com/es/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 H. J. Herrera-Suárez, M. Machado-Higuera, J. H. Muñoz
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the Revista Mexicana de Física E right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
