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VICPhysicsQuick questions
Unit 2: How does physics help us to understand the world?
Quick questions on Tension, pulleys and connected bodies (VCE Physics Unit 2)
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is light string?Show answer
Mass-less, so tension is the same throughout. The string is inextensible, so all bodies connected by it share the same magnitude of acceleration.
What is light frictionless pulley?Show answer
Mass-less and rotates without friction, so tension is identical on both sides of the pulley. The pulley redirects the force without changing its magnitude.
What is treating tension as a vector applied twice?Show answer
Tension is a single number for each segment of an ideal string. Apply it once to each connected body.
What is confusing tension with weight?Show answer
The tension is whatever the string supplies. Tension equals weight only if the body is in equilibrium or accelerating purely due to gravity along a different direction.
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