Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________

Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________

Tension
Tension occurs within a material that is being ________________________________________________.
It is an internal force that acts ______________________________ along the rope (string, chain, etc..) in
___________________________.

Example #1
A sign is hanging from a roof by two cables. The sign has a mass of 50 kg. Draw a FBD and determine the
tension of the cable attached to the sign.

Example #2
Consider two carts attached by a rope being pulled along a flat surface (friction is negligible). Cart 1 is 4.0 kg
and cart 2 is 6.0 kg. If cart 1 is being pulled to the right by a force of 40.0 N,

a) The acceleration of the carts

Note: What happens to force of tension in this situation?

b) The tension in the string connecting them

Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________
Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________

Since tension cancels out of the Fnet equation, we will only need to consider the forces acting on
_______________________ to solve for tension.

Example #3

Consider two equal masses hanging from a pulley. Diagram the forces acting on the entire system (draw out a
diagram).

With pulley problems it is sometimes easier to “unfold” the rope on the pulley and represent it as a straight line
being pulled.

Example #4
Two masses are hanging from a frictionless pulley, one mass is 6.0 kg and the other mass is 4.0 kg. Find:

a) The acceleration of the system.

b) The Tension in the string.

Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________
Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________
NOTE:
1. When solving for acceleration of the whole system we consider the ________________________.
2. When finding T we only use _______________________.

Example #5
A mass on a frictionless table is attached to a hanging mass over a frictionless pulley. The mass on the table is
8.0 kg and the mass hanging from the pulley is 6.0 kg. Find:
a) The acceleration of the masses.

b) The tension on the rope.

Example #6
If the same system from Example #5 has a force of friction of 25 N acting on the 8.0 kg mass, find:
a) The acceleration of the masses

b) The tension in the rope.

Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________
Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________
Tension Worksheet
1. A 4.0 kg mass is attached to a 10. kg mass on a horizontal table via a pulley. The 4.0 kg mass hangs off the
edge of the table. Find the acceleration and tension forces involved. Assume there is NO friction.

2. Repeat question #1 using a friction coefficient of 0.102 between the 10. kg mass and the horizontal surface.

3. A 16 kg mass is attached to another 12 kg mass by string. Both masses hang off a frictionless pulley. (This is
called Atwood’s machine). Determine the acceleration of the masses and the tension force in the string.

4. A 10.0 kg block lies on a frictionless horizontal table. To the right of the block is a frictionless pulley. A 25.0
kg mass is hanging off the table connected to the 10.0 kg mass and pulley via some string.
a. Find the acceleration of the system.
b. Find the tension in the string.

5. Two bodies, 1 and 2, have masses m1 = 25 kg and m2 = 45 kg respectively and are attached by a massless
inextensible cord which is passed over a frictionless pulley. This set-up is called an Atwood's machine.
Determine the acceleration of the bodies.

6. A pulley has two suspended masses hanging down on each side in a classic Atwood’s machine. If 15.0 kg is
on the right and 9.00 kg is on the left, what is the acceleration and tension force of the system?

7. An object sits at the edge of a table top with a mass of 143 kg. It is connected by a fine strong thread to a
mass via a pulley which is hanging in the air below the edge of the table top. The friction coefficient
between the 143 kg mass and the table is 0.300 and the tension in the thread is 890. N, find the
acceleration of the system and the mass of the other block!!

8. An elevator that has a mass of 1300. kg is starting from rest, moving upwards and accelerating at a rate of
3.000 m/s2. What is the force of tension on the cable?

9. An elevator is moving from the fifth floor to the lobby. It slows down at a rate of 2.40 m/s2. The elevator
has a mass of 1250. kg. What is the tension on the cable as the elevator slows down?

10. From rest, an elevator is moving from the top floor to the lobby. The total mass of the elevator is 1500. kg
What is the tension on the cable:
a. as it goes from 0 to 8.40 m/s in 3.00 seconds?
b. If it has a velocity of 8.40 m/s for 20.0 seconds?
c. It decelerates at a rate of 3.20. m/s2?

11. There is an elevator of total mass 1600 kg that is going down at 12 m/s. Over 42 m it comes to a full stop.
What was the Force of Tension on this elevator during the time it was accelerated?

Answers:
1) 2.8 m/s2, 28 N 2) 2.1 m/s2, 31 N 3) 1.4 m/s2 4) 7.0 m/s2, 70 N 5) 2.8 m/s2 6) 2.45 m/s2, 110 N
7) 3.28 m/s2, 136 kg 8) 16640 N 9) 1.53 x 104 N 10) a. 1.05 x 104 N b. 14700 N c. 1.95 x 104 N
11. 1.8 x 104 N
Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________
Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________
Unit: Dynamics Name:_________________
Lesson 7: Tension Date: _________________

1. 5390 N 2. 123 N 3. 118 N 4. 125 N 5. 108 N 6. 98 N 7. 70 N 8. Ft = 294 N, Ftrope2 = 196 N 9. 167 N 10. 6.96 m/s2