Enter the tension pull force of the pulley and the mass of the object into the calculator to determine the Pulley Acceleration. 

Pulley Acceleration Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Pulley Acceleration.

PA = T/m - g
  • Where PA  is the Pulley Acceleration (m/s^2)
  • T is the tension pull force of the pulley (N)
  • m is the mass of the object (kg)
  • g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s^2)

To calculate the pulley acceleration, divide the pulley tension by the pulley mass, then subtract the acceleration due to gravity.

What are the units for Pulley Acceleration?

In the International System of Units, also known as SI units, the units for Pulley Acceleration are m/s^2.

How to Calculate Pulley Acceleration?

Example Problem:

The following example problem outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Pulley Acceleration.

First, determine the tension pull force of the pulley. In this example, the tension pull force of the pulley is calculated or measured to be 100 (N).

Next, determine the mass of the object. For this problem, the mass of the object is determined to be 5 (kg).

Finally, calculate the Pulley Acceleration  using the formula above: 

PA = T/m – g

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation with the imputed values gives: 

PA = 100/5 – 9.81 = 10.18 (m/s^2)