Atwood Machine

Theory

With an ideal string and a massless pulley, both masses share the acceleration $a=\frac{(m_1-m_2)g}{m_1+m_2}$ and the tension is $T=\frac{2m_1{m}_{2}g}{m_1+m_2}$.

What to observe

• 3 kg and 2.5 kg → $a\approx 0.89m/{\mathrm{s}}^2$ and $T\approx 26.7$ N (select the string to see the tension).

Try this

• Make the masses equal: the system stays in equilibrium.
• Select the string and change the ratio to build a block and tackle.

Also available in: Máquina de Atwood (Português) · Máquina de Atwood (Español)