Chapter 3.4, Problem 1cT

The velocity vectors for blocks A and B are shown for a time immediately before release.

Draw a change in velocity vector for each block for a small time interval $\Delta t$ after release.

Explain how Newton’s second law and the definition of acceleration can be used to determine the direction of the change in velocity vectors.

By what factors is the magnitude of $\Delta {\stackrel{\to }{\upsilon }}_B$ greater than the magnitude of $\Delta {\stackrel{\to }{\upsilon }}_A$ ? Explain.

How does $m_B\Delta {\stackrel{\to }{\upsilon }}_B$ compare to $m_A\Delta {\stackrel{\to }{\upsilon }}_A$ for this small time interval?

Would this comparison change if we considered:

• another interval of time, equally small, occurring much later?
• a much larger time interval?
Explain.