Analysis of a system of two masses linked by a rope with variable tension including a friction force

The effect of a friction force on a system consisting of a two masses connected by a rope passing over a frictionless pulley is investigated. One mass slides on a horizontal surface with friction while the other mass moves vertically. The motion equation is obtained and its numerical solution is computed using the GNU Octave package. The experimental data are obtained using a data acquisition system and the Tracker video analyser. The graphs are made using the Origin software. The vertical position of one of the masses in function of the time can be represented by an exponential expression of the form y(t)=a bt. The comparison between theoretical an experimental results gives that the lowest average relative error is obtained with the Tracker.