Practice Pulley Systems in Physics

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

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Quick Recap

Pulley systems are arrangements of ropes and wheels used to change the direction of a force or to gain mechanical advantage.

A pulley can make lifting easier by sharing the load between several rope segments.

Showing a random 20 of 50 problems.

Example 1

challenge

A block-and-tackle with MA 3 is used to lift a

300\,\text{N}

load, but the system is only 80% efficient. Find the actual force you must pull.

Example 2

medium

For the same Atwood machine (

3\,\text{kg}

1\,\text{kg}

a = 5\,\text{m/s}^2

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

), find the rope tension.

Atwood machine: 1 kg mass accelerates upward, T = 15 N

Example 3

easy

To lift a load using a system with mechanical advantage 3, you pull

20\,\text{N}

. What load can you lift (ideal)?

Example 4

challenge

An Atwood machine:

4\,\text{kg}

and

2\,\text{kg}

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

. The

4\,\text{kg}

mass starts

1.8\,\text{m}

above the floor and is released. Find the time to reach the floor.

Example 5

medium

A block-and-tackle with 6 supporting segments lifts an

840\,\text{N}

load at constant speed. Find the ideal pull force.

Example 6

challenge

A compound pulley uses two movable pulleys in series, each adding a factor of 2 to the MA, plus a fixed direction-change pulley. What is the ideal MA, and what pull lifts a

400\,\text{N}

load?

Example 7

easy

With a single movable pulley you pull the rope

2\,\text{m}

. How far does the load rise (ideal)?

Example 8

medium

A pulley system has ideal

MA = 4

but only

75\%

efficient. To lift a

600\,\text{N}

load, what force is actually needed?

Example 9

medium

For the Atwood (

9\,\text{kg}

6\,\text{kg}

a = 2\,\text{m/s}^2

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

), find the tension.

Example 10

hard

Two masses

m_1 = 10\,\text{kg}

and

m_2 = 6\,\text{kg}

are connected over a pulley. The pulley itself has friction giving a constant retarding torque equivalent to

4\,\text{N}

of opposing tension difference. Find the acceleration (

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

Example 11

easy

A block-and-tackle has 6 rope segments supporting the load. What is its ideal mechanical advantage?

Example 12

hard

An Atwood machine with

m_1 = 5\,\text{kg}

and

m_2 = 3\,\text{kg}

is released from rest with

m_1

starting

1.6\,\text{m}

above the floor (

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

). With what speed does

m_1

hit?

Atwood: 5 kg starts 1.6 m high; find speed at floor ≈ 2.83 m/s

Example 13

easy

In an ideal massless rope over a frictionless pulley, how does the tension compare on the two sides?

Example 14

medium

An Atwood machine has masses

8\,\text{kg}

and

8\,\text{kg}

(

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

). Find the acceleration and tension.

Example 15

easy

Show that a fixed pulley does no useful multiplication of force. Pull

90\,\text{N}

on the rope; what weight is lifted at constant speed?

Example 16

hard

5\,\text{kg}

block on a frictionless

37^\circ

incline is connected over a pulley to a hanging

2\,\text{kg}

block (

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

\sin 37^\circ = 0.6

). Find the acceleration with the incline block sliding down.

5 kg block on 37° incline connected to 2 kg hanging mass; incline block slides down at a ≈ 1.43 m/s²

Example 17

medium

4\,\text{kg}

block on a frictionless table is connected over a pulley to a

6\,\text{kg}

hanging block (

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

). Find the acceleration.

4 kg table block pulled by rope over pulley toward 6 kg hanging mass

Example 18

medium

A 2 kg block on a frictionless table is connected over a pulley to a

3\,\text{kg}

hanging block (

g = 10\,\text{m/s}^2

). Find the acceleration.

Example 19

easy

A single fixed pulley redirects a rope to lift a

50\,\text{N}

load at constant speed. Ignoring friction, what force must you pull with?

Forces on the 50 N load at constant speed (single fixed pulley)

Example 20

easy

Does an ideal pulley system let you do less total work to lift a load to a given height?

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Related Concepts

Tension Equilibrium