Vertical Forces & Acceleration Practice Problems

A cable with negligible mass is connected to a crate with a mass of 5.00 kg that is resting on a smooth, flat surface. The cable then passes over a light, smooth pulley. Another crate, with mass m, is attached to the other end of the cable. The crates are released, leading to a tension of 20.0 N on the cable. Compare the tension (T) to the weight (w) of the hanging crate.

Shown below are three boats being pulled along the x-axis on a frictionless surface via ropes. If the magnitude of the pull force applied is 480 N, calculate the tension in each rope.

Two crates, each weighing 100.0 N, are dangled at opposite ends of a cable that passes over a smooth pulley. The pulley is attached to the roof by a rope. Calculate the tension in the rope. Assume that the pulley and cable have negligible mass.

Two blocks, each weighing 50.0 N, are dangled at either end of a cable. The cable passes through a smooth pulley, which is attached to the roof by a rope. Calculate the tension in the cable. Assume that the mass of the pulley and the cable are negligible.

On the Earth's surface, a cucumber weighs 2.94 N. If the acceleration due to gravity on the Moon's surface is 1.63 m/s², calculate the mass of the cucumber and its weight on the surface of the moon.

An apple weighs 1.0 N at the surface of the earth. What is the apple's mass on the earth's surface?

The ratio of the weight of a person on the surface of Mars to that on the surface of Earth is 0.38. Find the acceleration due to gravity on the surface of Mars.

A boy weighs a bag of tomatoes using a spring scale attached to the ceiling of a lift. While the elevator is at rest, he measures a weight of 40.0 N. As the lift starts moving upward, what is the acceleration of the lift if the scale reads 48.1 N?

A massless rope is connected to a slab that has a mass of 5.00 kg that rests on a horizontal, frictionless table. The rope passes over a light, smooth pulley at the edge of the table and is attached to a hanging slab with a mass of m. The rope has a tension of 20.0 N. What is the acceleration of the system when the two slabs are released?

Three boats each of mass 20.0 kg are being pulled horizontally on a frictionless surface using ropes as shown in the image. What is the acceleration of the boats, if the force applied is of magnitude 480 N?

A girl with a normal weight of 980 N is standing on a weighing scale situated in a lift that is moving upwards. At the same time, she is holding a 4.00 kg packet by a light vertical string. What is the tension on this string when the lift has an upward acceleration of 3.0 m/s²?

A person draws a bucket of water from a well, where the bucket is accelerating at 4.00 m/s² upwards. The rope attached to the bucket passes over a light pulley and has a tension of 20.0 N. Calculate the mass of the bucket of water.

A heavy steel ball with a mass of 150 kg is suspended from a massive, strong, uniform rope with a mass of 25.0 kg. Calculate the tension in the rope

(i) at a point one-fifth of the way up from the bottom

(ii) at a point two-thirds of the way up from the bottom.