[Phys-L] Re: Free body diagram misconception

[Robert.Cohen at PO-BOX.ESU.EDU (Robert Cohen)]

On Friday, October 21, 2005 6:09 PM, Gene Gordon wrote:

> I am sorry to say that due to the lateness of the hour or
> just typing, I
> mistyped the problem.   Everything in the problem, except for
> the force
> acting on the system.  The force should be acting on block 2.
>  not block 1, since that is the accceleration that i was asking about.

If I am interpreting the "new" problem correctly, I think the answer has
already been given in that it seems similar to considering a single
block at rest on a floor with coefficient mu and NO applied force and
then concluding that it must accelerate since the force diagram gives:
    mu m g = m a
Then again, perhaps I am missing something.

____________________________________________________
Robert Cohen, Chair, Department of Physics
East Stroudsburg University; E. Stroudsburg, PA 18301
570-422-3428; www.esu.edu/~bbq