Three particles AAA, B B\,B and CCC, of masses 2 kg, 3 kg and 5 kg, lie in that order on a smooth horizontal table. Adjacent particles are connected by light inextensible strings. A horizontal force of 40 N is applied to C C\,C away from BBB.
Find the acceleration of the particles.
Find the tension in the string joining A A\,A and BBB.
Find the tension in the string joining B B\,B and CCC.
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.