A frictionless pulley of negligible mass is hung from the ceiling using a rope, also of negligible mass. Two masses, m₁ and m₂ (m₁

Question

A frictionless pulley of negligible mass is hung from the ceiling using a rope, also of negligible mass. Two masses, m₁ and m₂ (m₁ < m₂) are connected to the rope over the pulley. The masses are free to drop. The magnitude of the tension T_top is ____ the sum of the tensions T₁ and T₂.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the pulley is frictionless and the ropes have negligible mass, the tension in the rope must be constant throughout. Therefore, the tension at the top of the rope must equal the tension in each of the two rope segments attached to the masses. Thus, the magnitude of the tension at the top of the rope is equal to the sum of the tensions in the two segments, i.e., T_top = T₁ + T₂.

A Frictionless Pulley of Negligible Mass Is Hung from the Ceiling