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Cord pulled on disk, m = 30 kg, T = 200 N

Short answer

I=3.75 kg·m². T (200 N) < weight, so a = (200−294.3)/30 = −3.14 m/s² downward. α = 200×0.5/3.75 = 26.67 rad/s² CCW. Cord a_c = −3.14 + 13.33 = 10.19 m/s² upward.

A cord is wrapped around a homogeneous disk of radius r=0.5r = 0.5 m and mass m=30m = 30 kg as shown in figure below. If the cord is pulled upward with a force TT of magnitude 200 N, determine (a) the acceleration of the center of the disk (b) the angular acceleration of the disk (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 T.]

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, 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=30m=30 kg, r=0.5r=0.5 m, T=200T=200 N, g=9.81g = 9.81 m/s²

W=mg=30×9.81=294.30 N,I=12mr2=12(30)(0.5)2=3.75 kg m2W = mg = 30\times9.81 = 294.30\ \text{N}, \qquad I = \tfrac12 mr^2 = \tfrac12(30)(0.5)^2 = 3.75\ \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=200−294.3030=−3.14 m/s2,i.e. 3.14 m/s2 downward\bar a = \frac{T - W}{m} = \frac{200 - 294.30}{30} = -3.14\ \text{m/s}^2, \quad\text{i.e. } 3.14\ \text{m/s}^2\ \text{downward}

The pull is less than the weight, so the centre accelerates downward.

Angular acceleration

α=TrI=200×0.53.75=26.67 rad/s2 (counter-clockwise, as T acts at the right rim)\alpha = \frac{Tr}{I} = \frac{200\times0.5}{3.75} = 26.67\ \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=(−3.14)+26.67×0.5=10.19 m/s2 ↑a_{cord} = \bar a_y + \alpha r = (-3.14) + 26.67\times0.5 = 10.19\ \text{m/s}^2\ \uparrow

Answer: (a) acceleration of the centre aˉ=3.14\bar a = 3.14 m/s² downward; (b) angular acceleration α=26.67\alpha = 26.67 rad/s² counter-clockwise; (c) acceleration of the cord =10.19= 10.19 m/s² upward.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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