Edexcel M1 — Question 6

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleM1 (Mechanics 1)
TopicPulley systems

6. Corinne and her brother Dermot are lifted by their parents onto the two ends of a rope which is slung over a large, horizontal branch. When their parents let go of them Dermot, whose mass is 54 kg , begins to descend with an acceleration of \(1 \mathrm {~ms} ^ { - 2 }\). By modelling the children as a pair of particles connected by a light inextensible string, and the branch as a smooth pulley,
  1. show that Corinne's mass is 44 kg ,
  2. calculate the tension in the rope,
  3. find the force on the branch. In a more sophisticated model, the branch is assumed to be rough.
  4. Explain what effect this would have on the initial acceleration of the children.
    (1 mark)