How Do You Calculate Acceleration In A Pulley System?
When it comes to preparing for standardized testing, some subjects can be downright miserable. With the proper preparation, those once-difficult topics can turn into a breeze, as long as you can remember the right steps. One of those topics is physics, and when it comes to calculating acceleration in pulley systems, following the right steps, in order, is all you need to succeed. Read the question carefully, study the diagram provided and locate all the variables in the problem. These variables should include two masses (m and M, or a combination similar) and a distance (h). Acceleration is what you’re looking for, but you may need to calculate/utilize velocity and work, as well. Ask yourself how the system will move. According to Spark Notes SAT Test Preparation, “the heavy mass, M, will fall, lifting the smaller mass, m. Because the masses are connected, we know that the velocity of mass m is equal in magnitude to the velocity of mass M, but opposite in direction. Likewise, the accel
