Find the tension of strings connccting the masses shown in the figure. The pullcys are massless and the surface friction is zero. Find the relation betwecn the masses $m, m^{\prime}$ and $M$, if $M$ is in cqilibrium.
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Solution
'lension is the same throughout. If $M$ moves down, $m$ moves to the
$M$
right and $m$ ' up. If $m$ moves to the right by $x, m^{\prime}$ moves up by $y$, $M$ moves down by $\frac{x+y}{2}$. So, the acceleration of $M, m$, and $m^{\prime}$ are, respectively, $\frac{a+a^{\prime}}{2}, a$ and $a^{\prime}$.
So, $T-m a, M g \quad 27-\frac{M\left(a+a^{\prime}\right)}{2}, T \quad m^{\prime} g^{-} m^{\prime} a^{\prime}$
$\therefore \quad a \mid a^{\prime}-\frac{2 \operatorname{Mg} 4 T}{M}-2 g \quad \frac{4 T}{M}-\frac{T}{m}, \frac{T-m^{\prime} g}{m^{\prime}}$
$\therefore \quad 2 g \quad \frac{4 T}{M}-\frac{T}{m} \mid \frac{T}{m^{\prime}}-g \quad \therefore 3 g-T\left\{\frac{4}{M} \mid \frac{1}{m}, \frac{1}{m^{\prime}}\right\} \quad \therefore \quad T-\frac{3 g}{\frac{4}{M}+\frac{1}{m}+\frac{1}{m^{\prime}}}$
If $M$ is in cquilibrium, $2 T=M g$
$\therefore \quad \frac{M g}{2}-\frac{3 g}{4}{M+\frac{1}{M}+\frac{1}{m^{\prime}}} \quad \therefore 4+\frac{M}{m}+\frac{M}{m^{\prime}}-6$
or $M f\left[\frac{1}{m}+\frac{1}{m^{\prime}}\right]-2$
$\therefore \quad M-\frac{2 m m^{\prime}}{m \mid m^{\prime}}$ Thus, $M$ is the harmonic mean of $m$ and $m^{\prime}$