Question

Draw a diagram showing a block and tackle system of 4 pulleys.

(i) State, how many strands of tackle support the load?

(ii) Draw arrows to represent tension in each strand.

(iii) Find the mechanical advantage of the system, stating the assumptions made.

(iv) If load is pulled up by a distance 1m, how much does the effort end move?

Answer 1

The adjacent diagram shows a block and tackle system of 4 pulleys.

(i) Four strands of tackle support the load.

(ii) The tension in each strand is shown by the arrow marked as T.

(iii) If we neglect the friction of the pulleys and weight of the pulleys in the lower block, then:

L = 4T

and E = T

∴ M.A. = L/E

= 4T/T

= 4.

(iv) If load is pulled up by a distance 1m, the effort end moves by 4m.