Question

A 2 kg mass on a horizontal friction-free air track is accelerated by a string attached to a 115 kg mass hanging vertically from a pulley as shown. Compare the accelerations when the masses are interchanged, that is, for the case where the 115 kg mass dangles over the pulley, and then for the case where the 2 kg mass dangles over the pulley.

Answer 1

(a)
total mass = (M+m)
Total force = Mg
Acceleration = Mg/(M+m)
(b)
Acceleration = mg/(M+m)