Particles A of mass 0.25 kg and B of mass 0.75 kg are attached to opposite ends of a light inextensible string which passes over a fixed smooth pulley. The system is held at rest with the string taut and its straight parts vertical. Both particles are at a height of h m above the floor (see Fig. 1). The system is released from rest, and 0.6 s later, when both particles are in motion, the string breaks. The particle A does not reach the pulley in the subsequent motion.
(i) Find the acceleration of A and the distance travelled by A before the string breaks.
The velocity-time graph shown in Fig. 2 is for the motion of particle A until it hits the floor. The velocity of A when the string breaks is V m s-1 and T s is the time taken for A to reach its greatest height.
(ii) Find the value of V and the value of T.
(iii) Find the distance travelled by A upwards and the distance travelled by A downwards and hence find h.