Question

A force of 20N pulls two carts tied together with a string. The carts with masses 3kg and 4kg, respectively, run on a smooth level surface. Find :

a. The acceleration of the 4kg cart.

b. The acceleration of the 3kg cart.

c. The tension on the string connecting the two carts.

Please show the complete solution.

Answer 1

a. $F-T=4a$ and $T=3a$

$F-3a=4a\to a=F/7=20/7\approx2.86\ (m/s^2)$ .

b. $a=2.86\ (m/s^2)$ .

c. $T=3a=3\cdot2.86=8.57\ (N)$ .