A body m₁ of mass 10 kg is placed on a smooth horizontal table. It is connected to a string which passes over a frictionless pulley and carries at the other end, a body m₂ of mass 5 kg. What acceleration will be produced in the bodies when the nail fixed on the table is removed? What will be the tension in the string during the motion of the bodies? What when the bodies stop? Take g = 9.8N kg^–1

The situation is shown in figure. When the nail fixed on the table is removed, the system of two bodies moves with an acceleration a in the direction as shown.

From Newton’s second law, we have 

(m₁ + m₂)a = m₂g

a=(m₂ g)/(m₁+m₂ )=(5×9.8)/((10+5))= 3.27 ms^-2

Also, T = m₁ ×a = 10 × 3.27 = 32.7 N

When the bodies stop, acceleration, a = 0 Suppose the tension in the string becomes T’ As the net force on each body is zero, so for body m₂, we can write. 

T = m₂g = 5 × 9.8 = 49N