Atwood Machine Simulator

Mass 1 (kg): 5 kg
Mass 2 (kg): 7 kg

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Atwood Machines

An Atwood machine consists of two masses connected by a string over a frictionless pulley. The acceleration a of the masses and the tension T in the string depend on the masses:

• Acceleration: a = (m₂ - m₁)g / (m₁ + m₂)
• Tension: T = m₁ (g + a) = m₂ (g - a)

Here, g is the acceleration due to gravity (~9.8 m/s²). The heavier mass accelerates downward while the lighter one moves upward.

This setup illustrates Newton's Second Law and the relationship between forces in connected systems.