you are given a 1kg trolley and a trolley of unknown mass.explain how the mass of unknown . Explain how the mass of the known trolley can be determined if a mass-meter scale is not available
To determine the mass of the unknown trolley without a mass-meter scale, you can utilize the concept of equilibrium and Newton's second law of motion.
The first step is to set up an equilibrium situation between the two trolleys. In this case, you can connect the known trolley and the unknown trolley with a rope or a string, ensuring that they are both on a horizontal surface.
Next, apply a force to one of the trolleys, such as a gentle push or pull. The trolleys will accelerate due to the force applied, but the acceleration should be small enough to not cause any significant movement.
Observe the motion of the trolleys and determine if they move together or if one moves more than the other. If the trolleys stay together and move as a single unit with equal acceleration, it implies that the unknown trolley and the known trolley have the same mass.
However, if the trolleys move separately, with one moving more than the other, the known trolley must have a greater mass. This is because the force applied affects both trolleys equally, but the trolley with more mass requires more force to move at the same acceleration.
By analyzing the motion and the observed behavior of the trolleys, you can infer the relative masses of the known and unknown trolleys. If they move together, they have equal masses; if not, the known trolley has a greater mass.