How to Calculate Mechanical Advantage in Pulley Systems

What is the IMA of the system?

A worker uses a pulley system to raise a 225 N carton 16.5 m. A force of 129 N is exerted and the rope is pulled 33.0 m.

Answer:

The Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of the system is 1.74.

When calculating the mechanical advantage of a block and tackle pulley system, it is important to consider the IMA and efficiency of the system. In this case, the IMA was found to be 1.74.

It is essential to understand that the IMA can be calculated using different methods. By using the rope method, the mechanical advantage is determined by dividing the amount of rope pulled by the distance the object moves.

On the other hand, if we calculate the mechanical advantage using the forces method, we divide the weight of the object being lifted by the force required to lift it. In this specific scenario, the mechanical advantage was calculated to be 1.74.

It is crucial to note that the discrepancy between the mechanical advantage calculated from the rope method and the forces method is due to energy losses such as friction and rope deformation. The true mechanical advantage is the one calculated from the forces method, which in this case is 1.74.

Efficiency of the system can be determined by dividing the true mechanical advantage by the calculated IMA. In this case, the efficiency is 87%, indicating that 87% of the input work is converted into output work.