Two particles of mass m1 kg and m2 kg (m2 > m1) are connected by a light inextensible string that passes over a small pulley and then released.
The equation of motion for the mass m1
B. m1a = m1g - T (what I said)
E. m1a = T- m1g (the answer)
Can someone tell me where I went wrong. I attach a dodgy diagram that's in the question that I drew
EDIT: I have another question. I know that friction is F max = uN when object is moving or "on the verge of moving". How do you figure out if an object is on the verge of moving? Does the question tell you that? Usually it just says "is at rest" or "is moving..." But I've never come across "is on the verge of moving". If an object is at rest BUT is on a slanted slide, would you classify that as on the verge of moving?
Well if m2>m1, the m2 mass is moving down and the m1 mass is moving up. This means that the tension force must be greater than m1g.
As for friction, F = uN when it's moving, but the coefficient of friction is a coefficient of kinetic friction, whereas Fmax = uN for verge of moving has a coefficient of static friction; the former is generally smaller than the latter. If something is on the verge of moving, they WILL tell you. Something at rest on a slanted slide isn't on the verge of moving though; the friction force then might not be at its maximum.