Acceleration with Two Masses Calculator

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter the mass of the first object (Mass 1) in kilograms (kg).
2. Enter the mass of the second object (Mass 2) in kilograms (kg).
3. Optionally, enter the friction coefficient if the surface is not frictionless.
4. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the acceleration.
5. The result will be displayed in meters per second squared (m/s²).

Working Principle

This calculator is based on Newton's second law of motion. When two masses are connected by a string over a pulley, the acceleration of the system can be calculated using the formula:

a = (m₁ - m₂)g / (m₁ + m₂ + μm₂)

Where:

• a is the acceleration of the system
• m₁ is the mass of the first object
• m₂ is the mass of the second object
• g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.81 m/s²)
• μ is the coefficient of friction

Example

If you have two masses of 5 kg and 3 kg connected by a string over a pulley, and the friction coefficient is 0.1, the acceleration of the system would be calculated as follows:

a = (5 - 3) * 9.81 / (5 + 3 + 0.1 * 3) = 2 * 9.81 / 8.3 = 2.36 m/s²