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This is the up/down direction here,
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and that is up the slope, down the slope direction, for that one.
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But I think you realize if the rope is inelastic,
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if this mass moves down one inch,
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that's got to go up one inch.
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Therefore, if it goes one inch in one second,
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so will the other guy,
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they'll have the same velocity and they'll have the same acceleration.
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So, that's why there's only one unknown acceleration, a.
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Once you realize that you're done because now we know what to do.
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Whenever you see - T and + T,
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you add them and you get g · ( M · sin(θ) - m ).