Q9: Prb 2 - This problem has two parts to this. I will type out the questions for each of the two parts along with additional info in "Description" below.

Question

Two connected flywheels are free to rotate about an axle through their mutual center. They are at rest, and they remain at rest. One flywheel has a radius r₁ = 0.45 m, and a rope wound around it has tension F₁. The other flywheel has a radius r₂ = 0.29 m, and the rope wound around it has a tension of F₂ = 37.8 N.

Part a) Write an expression for tension F₁ in terms of the symbols introduced in the problem statement/description.

Part b) What is the tension, F₁, in newtons?

Answer 1

Since the flywheels are connected and are at rest then the torque on flywheel 1 must be equal and opposite to the torque on flywheel 2. Torque = radius•tension

So F₁r₁ = F₂r₂

Plug in the numbers and solve for F₁