10 Work, energy, and power

AQA Physics Application

Efficiency of slopes and pulleys

Specification references
• 3.4.1.7 Work, energy and power
• 3.4.1.8 Conservation of energy
• PS 1.1
• PS 2.1, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4
• PS 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
• PS 4.1

Introduction
During the construction of ancient buildings it was not always possible to lift objects
vertically in order to put them on top of a building. This is because some of the
objects were too heavy to lift with ropes. Instead, the object needed to be dragged
along a slope of earth or sand in order to increase its height. The earth could later
be removed to reveal the building. This process is not as efficient as lifting the object
directly because frictional forces have to be overcome. However, it requires
significantly smaller forces which would not break the ropes available at the time.

Learning objectives
After completing the worksheet you should be able to:
• plan an experiment to find the efficiency of moving an object up a ramp
• perform a simple risk assessment
• determine the efficiency of different pulley systems through data analysis.

Task
An object needs to be dragged along a slope until it has been lifted through a vertical
distance of 30.0 cm. The slope is a wooden plank which can be positioned at different
angles to the horizontal. The maximum tension in the rope must not exceed 20 N.
Design an experiment that could be used to measure the efficiency of using the
slope, and determine which angle would be the most efficient without exceeding the
maximum tension.
In your plan you should include:
1 an apparatus list (2 marks)
2 a diagram showing the experimental set-up (2 marks)
3 a risk assessment outlining hazards and control measures (2 marks)
4 a descriptive method explaining how the experiment will be carried out (3 marks)
5 a results table to record any data (2 marks)
6 an explanation of any calculations you will perform to determine the efficiency of
the ramp (3 marks)
7 an explanation of how you will determine the most efficient angle for the slope of
the ramp. (2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2015 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original 1
 10 Work, energy, and power
AQA Physics Application

Using pulleys
As an alternative to using a ramp, pulley systems can be used to lift large objects
using smaller forces.
A single pulley allows a downwards force to be used to lift an object upwards. The
force required is very slightly larger than the weight of the object as there is a small
amount of friction to overcome in the pulley system.
Two pulleys combined reduce the force significantly at the cost of having to pull the
rope much further.
Three pulleys reduce the force required further at even greater cost to distance
pulled and so on.
The table below shows the forces required to lift objects by different pulley systems
and the distance the ropes needed to be pulled. The object being lifted is a block of
mass 500 kg, which is lifted through a height of 20.0 m.
Number of Force required Distance pulled Work done Efficiency
pulleys / × 105 N /m /J /%
1 5.01 20.0
2 2.58 40.0
3 1.82 60.0
4 1.46 80.0
5 1.27 100.0

Questions
1 Calculate the work done by each pulley system. (2 marks)
2 Calculate the efficiency of each pulley system. (2 marks)
3 Plot a graph showing the relationship between the efficiency of the system and
the number of pulleys. (4 marks)
4 Describe the relationship between the efficiency of the system and the number of
pulleys. (2 marks)
5 Suggest possible reasons for the pattern described in the results. (2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2015 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original 2