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Cord pulled on disk, m = 20 kg, F = 250 N

Short answer

I=½(20)(0.5²)=2.5 kg·m²; T−mg gives a = (250−196.2)/20 = 2.69 m/s² up. Tr = Iα gives α = 250×0.5/2.5 = 50.00 rad/s² CCW; cord a_c = a + αr = 27.69 m/s² up.

A cord is wrapped around a homogenous disk of radius r=0.5r = 0.5 m and mass 20 kg. If the cord is pulled upward with a force of magnitude F=250F = 250 N, determine (a) the angular acceleration of the disk, (b) the acceleration of the disk and (c) the acceleration of the cord. [Figure: disk with centre G, radius 0.5 m, cord wrapped on the rim and pulled up at A with force F.]

Take upward as positive for translation. The disk is homogeneous, so I=12mr2I = \tfrac12 mr^2. The forces on the disk are its weight W=mgW=mg (down, at GG) and the pull TT (the given force FF), acting up at the rim, a distance rr from GG. The cord leaves the rim tangentially, so TT has moment TrTr about GG.

        T ^
          | A
      .---+---.
     /    G    \
     \         /
      '-------'
          | W
          v

Data

m=20m=20 kg, r=0.5r=0.5 m, T=250T=250 N (the force called FF in the question), g=9.81g = 9.81 m/s²

W=mg=20×9.81=196.20 N,I=12mr2=12(20)(0.5)2=2.5 kg m2W = mg = 20\times9.81 = 196.20\ \text{N}, \qquad I = \tfrac12 mr^2 = \tfrac12(20)(0.5)^2 = 2.5\ \text{kg m}^2

Equations of motion

ΣFy=maˉ:T−W=maˉΣMG=Iα:Tr=Iα\begin{aligned} \Sigma F_y = m\bar a &: \quad T - W = m\bar a\\ \Sigma M_G = I\alpha &: \quad T r = I\alpha \end{aligned}

Centre of the disk

aˉ=T−Wm=250−196.2020=2.69 m/s2 upward\bar a = \frac{T - W}{m} = \frac{250 - 196.20}{20} = 2.69\ \text{m/s}^2\ \text{upward}

Angular acceleration

α=TrI=250×0.52.5=50.00 rad/s2 (counter-clockwise, as T acts at the right rim)\alpha = \frac{Tr}{I} = \frac{250\times0.5}{2.5} = 50.00\ \text{rad/s}^2\ \text{(counter-clockwise, as } T \text{ acts at the right rim)}

Acceleration of the cord

The cord has the same acceleration as the rim point AA to which it is attached: the acceleration of GG plus the tangential acceleration αr\alpha r of AA relative to GG (upward, since α\alpha is counter-clockwise and AA is on the right):

acord=aˉy+αr=(+2.69)+50.00×0.5=27.69 m/s2 ↑a_{cord} = \bar a_y + \alpha r = (+2.69) + 50.00\times0.5 = 27.69\ \text{m/s}^2\ \uparrow

Answer: (a) angular acceleration α=50.00\alpha = 50.00 rad/s² counter-clockwise; (b) acceleration of the disk aˉ=2.69\bar a = 2.69 m/s² upward; (c) acceleration of the cord =27.69= 27.69 m/s² upward.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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