Pulleys, ropes and chains

6 ready-made scenes. Each opens in the studio; press Play to run it, then change anything: masses, lengths, the forces, what the graphs show.

Atwood Machine
Two masses over an ideal pulley. a = (m₁ − m₂)g / (m₁ + m₂).
Atwood, Massive Pulley
The pulley grips the rope, so its rotational inertia slows the fall.
Movable Pulley
A 2:1 tackle. The counterweight moves twice as far as the moving pulley.
Heavy Chain off a Table
A 1 kg/m chain pulls a block across a smooth table; the hanging part grows, and so does the pull: (m₁ + m₂ + ρL) ÿ = (m₂ + ρy) g.
Rope Wound on a Disk Research
A striped rope wound on a disk, tied at a rim point, carrying a mass.
Block on a Slope Tied over a Pulley Research
2 kg on a 30° slope tied over a pulley to 3 kg: a = (m₂ − m₁ sin θ − μ m₁ cos θ) g / (m₁ + m₂), and T = m₂(g − a).