Question

A pulley fixed to the ceiling of an elevator car carries a thread whose ends are attached to the loads of masses m₁ and m₂. The car starts going up with an acceleration w_o. Assuming the masses of the pulley and the thread, as well as the friction, to be negligible find: 

(a) the acceleration of the load m₁ relative to the elevator shaft and relative to the car; 

(b) the force exerted by the pulley on the ceiling of the car.

Answer 1

Let us write Newton's second law in vector from 

(in the frame of ground).

(b) obviously, the force exerted by the pulley on the celing of the car