Two particles P P\,P of mass 4 kg and Q Q\,Q of mass 3 kg are connected by a light inextensible string. The string passes over a smooth pulley fixed at the apex of a wedge. One face of the wedge is smooth and inclined at an angle of 60∘ 60^\circ\,60∘ to the horizontal. The other face of the wedge is rough and inclined at an angle of 30∘ 30^\circ\,30∘ to the horizontal. P P\,P lies on the smooth face and the string connecting the particles is taut. The coefficient of friction between Q Q\,Q and the rough face is 0.25.
Find the tension in the string.
Find the acceleration of the system and the direction of travel.
49 exam-style questions on OCR (MEI) A Level Maths 3.5 Newton's Laws of Motion, covering 3.5.1 Meaning of Newton's three laws, 3.5.2 Equation of motion, 3.5.3 Equation of motion for a particle in a straight line, 3.5.4 Model a system of connected particles, 3.5.5 Equations of motion for individual particles, 3.5.6 System with no relative motion as a single particle, and 3.5.7 Equation of motion in a straight line or plane (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.