Schaum's 3000 Solved Problems in Physics · Problem 4.8 · Newton's laws

Crate on a rope

One crate, one rope, four different pulls. The arrows tell you which way it goes.

A 20-kg crate hangs at the end of a long rope. Find its acceleration when the tension in the rope is (a) 250 N, (b) 150 N, (c) zero, (d) 196 N.as printed, page 52

Tap any symbol, here or in a formula, to see what it is and its value.

The picture
20 kg T = 250 N w = 196 N net 54 N up · a = 2.7 m/s²
tension, up250 N
weight, down196 N
net force+54 N
acceleration+2.7 m/s²
Feel the numbers
196 Nthe crate's weight

Twenty kilograms, a heavy suitcase. Everything in this problem is measured against this one number.

+2.7 m/s²at 250 N

A gentle lift, about a quarter of g. A crane hoisting a load feels like this at the start.

−9.8 m/s²at zero tension

A slack rope does nothing. The crate falls as if there were no rope, which is what free fall means.

The walkthrough

Press play and it reads straight through, scrolling as it goes. Space pauses. ← → move a step. ▶ on a step plays from there.

Every symbol
Narrated by the Listen voice. Timing comes from the narration itself, so the light lands on the part of the formula that is being said.
epicnotes