You can raise or lower the load with the mouse. If you click on the mouse button, a spring balance will appear showing the tension in the string. You can change the weight of the load and the hanging pulley(s) by using the appropriate boxes. Inputs higher than the spring scale limit (10 N) are automatically changed.
Software/Applets used on this page
Based on free Java applets from Java Applets on Physics
Glossary
limit
the value that a function f(x) approaches as the variable x approaches a value such as 0 or infinity
spring
a helical wire or string made of rubber which when stretched and let go returns to its original shape
tension
A pulling force which pulls the connected parts of a system together. It is an internal force.
weight
a force which acts upon masses in a gravitational field. Near the surface of the Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass. Weight and mass are fundamentally different quantities: mass is an intrinsic property of matter, whereas weight is a force that results from the action of gravity on matter: it measures how strongly gravity pulls on that matter.
This question appears in the following syllabi:
| Syllabus | Module | Section | Topic | Exam Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| AQA AS Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Forces and Newton's Laws | Connected Particles | - |
| AQA AS/A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Forces and Newton's Laws | Connected Particles | - |
| CCEA A-Level (NI) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| CIE A-Level (UK) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| Edexcel A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| Edexcel AS Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Forces and Newton's Laws | Connected Particles | - |
| Edexcel AS/A2 Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Forces and Newton's Laws | Connected Particles | - |
| OCR A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| OCR AS Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Connected Particles | Connected Particles | - |
| OCR MEI AS Maths 2017 | Mechanics | Connected Particles | Connected Particles | - |
| OCR-MEI A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| Pre-U A-Level (UK) | Mech | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| Universal (all site questions) | D | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |
| WJEC A-Level (Wales) | M1 | Dynamics | Connected particles | - |