Atwood machine consist of masses of 1 kg and 1.06 kg on opposite sides of pulley.?

Question

• if the system accelerates 2.3 m from rest, how much work is done by gravity on the system?
• How can I use the definition of KE to identify the velocity of the system after having moved through the 2.3 m assuming that the system was released from rest.

so we have

m1 = 1 kg
m2 = 1.06 kg
x = 2.3 m
v0 = 0

Answer 1

I will assume that this is a frictionless pulley version
using conservation of energy, the system is ideal, so the net work is
0.06*g*2.3

The heavy mass has positive work done
1.06*g*2.3

The light mass has negative work done
1*g*2.3

this net work is equal to the kinetic energy in the system
so
0.06*g*2.3=0.5*2.06*v^2
solve for v and you will have the downward velocity of the heavy mass and the upward velocity of the lighter mass.

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