Two balls A A\,A and B B\,B have mass of 3 kg and 2 kg respectively. The balls are connected by a string which passes over a fixed pulley. Ball A A\,A is held at rest with the string taut and the hanging parts of the string vertical. Ball A A\,A is released. The string is modelled as being light and inextensible, the balls are modelled as particles, the pulley is modelled as being smooth and air resistance is ignored.
Using the model, find, in terms of ggg, the magnitude of the force exerted on the pulley by the string while A A\,A is falling and before B B\,B hits the pulley.
State one limitation of the model, apart from ignoring air resistance, that will affect the accuracy of your answer to part (a).
Forces and Motion Questions
Practise Edexcel AS Level Maths Forces and Motion with exam-style questions for AS Level Maths. 15 questions covering Force Diagrams, Forces as Vectors, Forces and Acceleration, Motion in 2 Dimensions, Connected Particles, and Pulleys, matched to the Edexcel AS Level Maths (8MA0) specification and written in Paper 1 and Paper 2 style. Every question includes a full worked solution and mark scheme, so you can see where marks are awarded rather than just whether you got the answer right.