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Physics Lab: A Pulley As A Simple Machine Questions

A pulley is a simple machine consisting of a wheel that turns on an axle. Pulleys are often used alone or in combination to lift objects. The efficiency of a pulley is the ratio of useful work done by the pulley to the work input, which is usually expressed as a percentage. The mechanical advantage of a pulley is the ratio of the output force to the input force. Students will set up experiments using single pulleys and masses to measure work input and output in order to calculate efficiency and mechanical advantage.

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Eden Wong
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79 views

Physics Lab: A Pulley As A Simple Machine Questions

A pulley is a simple machine consisting of a wheel that turns on an axle. Pulleys are often used alone or in combination to lift objects. The efficiency of a pulley is the ratio of useful work done by the pulley to the work input, which is usually expressed as a percentage. The mechanical advantage of a pulley is the ratio of the output force to the input force. Students will set up experiments using single pulleys and masses to measure work input and output in order to calculate efficiency and mechanical advantage.

Uploaded by

Eden Wong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physics Lab: A Pulley as a Simple Machine

Questions:
1. What is the efficiency of a pulley?
2. What is the mechanical advantage of a simple pulley?

Discussion:
A pulley is a simple machine consisting of a wheel turning on an axle. Pulleys are often used singly and in
combinations to do work.
If energy is conserved for a machine, then the work done by the machine must be equal to the work put into the
machine:
Work out = Work in
The work done by a pulley equals the weight it lifts, W (= mg), times the height it lifts it, h. The work that you put
into the machine equals the Force that you exert on the string, F, times the distance that you pull the string, d.
So, for an ideal pulley:
Fd = Wh = mgh
Of course, there is some friction present in any real pulley, so we would expect that some of the work that we put
into the machine would be dissipated by friction (as heat energy, mostly). So for a real pulley,
Fd = Wh + Work done against friction so,
The ratio of useful work done by the pulley (Wh) to the work you put in (Fd) is the efficiency of the pulley, which
is usually expressed as a percent:

The mechanical advantage of a machine is the ratio of the output force to the input force, or:
Mechanical Advantage = force out /Force in
Equipment:

2 single pulleys

string

0.5 kg & 1.0 kg masses spring scale


ring-stand clamp
ring stand

c-clamp

Apparatus A - The pulley is tied to the


support

Procedure:
1.

2.

3.
4.
5.

Set up Apparatus A as shown in the diagram. Be sure to


clamp the ring stand to the table (using the c-clamp) so that
it won't tip over.
Lift the mass. Measure and record the weight lifted (W =
mg), the height lifted (h), the force required (F), and the
distance you pulled (d). Be sure to construct a data table for
your data and results.
Calculate the work you did in each trial (Fd) and the work
done by the pulley (Wh).
Calculate the efficiency and mechanical advantage for this
machine.
Repeat for Apparatus B.

Apparatus B - The pulley is tied to the


weight being lifted

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