Problem Solving Strategies

1.

Draw a diagram of the entire system, including all forces.

2.

Decide whether the net acceleration (angular and linear) is zero or not. Determine the unknown quantity that you need to find.

3.

Draw force diagrams for each relevant part of the system, choosing and clearly labelling a coordinate system for each diagram.

4.

Write down the torque balance equation for each part of the system.

5.

Write down the force balance equation for each part and resolve it into its coordinates.

6.

Solve the equations for the unknown quantities.