A pulley fixed to the ceiling carried a thread with bodies of masses m1 and m2 attached to its ends. The masses of the pulley and the thread are negligible and friction is absent. Find the acceleration of the center of mass of this system.
Let us assume that m2<m1
We can see that the masses have equal and opposite acceleration of same magnitude.
α = (m2−m1)m2+m1g and tension in string is T = 2m1m2gm2+m1
Taking download direction as positive, a1=−a;a2=+a
α = m1α1+m2α2m1+m2 =(m2−m1)αm1+m2
Substituting for the value of a, we have : αcm = (m2−m1m2+m1)2g
Alternative Method
αcm = fext.m1+m2 = (m1g+m2g)−2Tm1+m2 ⇒ αcm = g−4m1m2g(m2+m1)2
= (m2−m1m2+m1)2g