A light spring balance hangs from the hook of the other light spring b...
The Earth pulls the block by a force Mg. The block in turn exerts a force Mg on the spring of spring balance S1 which therefore shows a reading of M kgf.
The spring S1 is massless. Therefore it exerts a force of Mg on the spring of spring balance S2 which shows the reading of M kgf.
View all questions of this test
A light spring balance hangs from the hook of the other light spring b...
Explanation:
When two spring balances are connected to each other and a mass is hung from the bottom one, the scale reading of each balance depends on the arrangement of the system and the forces acting on it.
Force Analysis:
Let's analyze the forces acting on the system:
1. Tension in the upper spring balance (T1): The upper spring balance is connected to the hook and the lower spring balance. It experiences the weight of the lower balance and the weight of the block. Therefore, the tension in the upper spring balance is equal to the sum of these two weights: T1 = M*g + M*g = 2M*g.
2. Tension in the lower spring balance (T2): The lower spring balance is connected to the upper balance and the block. It experiences the weight of the block only. So, the tension in the lower spring balance is equal to the weight of the block: T2 = M*g.
Scale Readings:
Based on the forces analyzed above, we can determine the scale readings of each balance:
1. Upper spring balance: The scale reading of the upper balance is equal to the tension in the upper balance, which is 2M*g. Since the weight of the block is M*g, the scale reading of the upper balance is M kg.
2. Lower spring balance: The scale reading of the lower balance is equal to the tension in the lower balance, which is M*g. Therefore, the scale reading of the lower balance is also M kg.
Conclusion:
From the force analysis and scale readings, we can conclude that both the scales read M kg each. Therefore, the correct answer is option 'A': Both the scales read M kg each.