Pulley activity
We will investigate how pulleys make lifting easy .
Aim - To see what effect the number of pulleys has on the size of the effort needed to lift a 200g load and the distance the effort is pulled compared to the distance the load travels..
Apparatus - retort stand, spring balance, 200g weights, sets of pulleys and string.
| Pulley system | Effort (reading on the spring balance) |
Distance that the effort has to move in order to lift the load 10cm. |
Mechanical advantage load/effort |
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
What happens to the effort needed to lift 200g as more pulleys are used?
What happens to the distance the effort moves as compared to the distance the load moves?
What would the spring balance read if 6 pulleys were used to lift the 200g mass?
What length of rope would have to be pulled through the pulleys in order to lift the 200g 20cm upwards?
What is the mechanical advantage of this machine?
