Inclined Atwood's Machine (Frictionless)
Unit: Force and Newton's Laws
Multi-Step Problem Preview
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Part 1
Two objects are connected by a light string that passes over a frictionless pulley. Object 1 has mass and is placed on a frictionless inclined plane at angle , while object 2 has mass and hangs vertically. The system is released from rest.

Select the correct free-body diagram for mass on the inclined plane (axes aligned with the incline; is tension, is normal force; all forces are labeled).
Correct!
Solution
On the frictionless incline (axes aligned with the plane):
- The weight of the mass, , points vertically downward.
- The normal force is perpendicular to the plane, pointing outward from the surface.
- The tension is along the plane, directed up the plane.
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