Part BCSIR NET December 2024the-whole-system-shares-the-acceleration

The whole system shares the acceleration

Two blocks of equal mass m are connected by a flexible inelastic cord of mass M. One block is placed on a smooth horizontal table, the other block hangs over the edge. The total potential energy of the entire cord is given by (−Mg $/2 l) x^{2}$ , where x is the distance of the hanging block from the edge of the table, l is the length of the cord, and g is the gravitational acceleration. Then

A.ẍ = (l/g)(ml + Mx)/(2m + M)
B.ẍ = (l/g)(Ml + mx)/(m + M)
C.ẍ = (g/l)(ml + Mx)/(m + M)
D.ẍ = (g/l)(ml + Mx)/(2m + M)✓

You have the answer. Trap Analysis is why the other three were written.

Not a worked solution repeated four times — the specific reasoning error each wrong option was built to reward.

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The whole system shares the acceleration

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