Question

on an exam i had to day this was the question:A painter of mass 50.0 kg stands on a platform of mass 40.0 kg and pulls on two ropes which hang over pulleys, as shown. He pulls each rope with a force of 400.0 N. Assuming a coordinate system where +y is up, calculate the y-component of the acceleration ay. ay can either be positive or negative depending on the direction of the acceleration