quote:
Originally posted by CookieRevised
Both the ends of the chain must be at the same horizontal plane, see picture from SonicSam.
quote:
Originally posted by Volv
If that was a parameter of SonicSam's question then yes, you are absolutely right 
Mathematically it is true that if both ends of the chain are on the same horizontal plane then there will be no net force, hence no movement.
Cookie is also correct when he says that a system in which the chain is joined makes no difference to the model whatsoever given that the ends of the sloped surface are on the same horizontal plane -- and as there is no net force to start with (whether the chain is joined or not) then there will be no movement.
If they were not on the same horizontal plane then yes, there may be a net force on an un-joined chain. However, if the chain is joined then unlike the previous example, there is not an even distribution of the hanging chain between the two sides (since the surface is not on the same horizontal plane, there will be more hanging from the shorter side), this uneven distribution acts to negate any net force which may have existed in an unconnected chain and as such there will still be no movement in a circular chain.
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