Atwood system of two pulleys

classical-mechanicsdynamical systemsphysics

A light string passes over a light fixed pulley carrying a mass P at one extremity and a light pulley at the other. Another light string passes over this second pulley and has masses Q and R at its extremities. If the system starts from rest and R remains at rest throughout then show that

$$4/P + 1/Q = 3/R$$

I have drawn the free body diagram of the problem and assigned tension $T$ corresponding to the rope of $R$; ie $T=Rg$. Now the other end of same string has equation $T-Qg = Qa$ where $a$ is the acceleration due to gravity of the mass $Q$. However I am facing trouble wrt the string carrying $P$. Here the tension is $2T$ but I have trouble assigning acceleration and related parameters. How do I solve on from here? Thank you in advance.

Best Answer

Hint.

Calling $y_P, y_Q, y_R$ and $y_O$ the heights for $P, Q, R$ and the second pulley, we have

$$ \cases{ T_1-Pg = P\ddot y_P\\ T_2-Qg = Q\ddot y_Q\\ T_2-Rg = R\ddot y_R\\ T_1 = 2T_2\\ y_P + y_O = C^{te}\\ y_Q-y_O +y_R-y_O = C^{te} } $$

NOTE

If $R$ remains at rest, then $T_2-Rg = 0$