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1. What is Pulley? (Muhammad Amir)

A pulley is a simple machine consisting of a string (or rope) wrapped around a wheel
(sometimes with a groove) with one end of the string attached to an object and the other end
attached to a person or a motor. It is a simple wooden or metallic machine that uses a wheel
and rope to lift heavy loads. Nowadays, plastic pulleys are also available in the market to carry
small loads. This can be rotated freely about an axis passing through its center. It can change
the direction of a force which makes it much easier for people to lift anything. Pulleys may
seem simple, but they can provide a powerful mechanical advantage so lifting tasks may be
done easily.
An elevator is a modern engineering use of a pulley system. Without the use of pulleys, an
elevator would require a large motor to pull the cable straight up. Instead of using a large motor,
some elevators use a large weight that takes advantage of gravity to help raise the elevator car
(see Figure 1). In this situation, the powering motor can be much smaller and only be used to
determine the direction the elevator should go.

Figure 1. Adding a counterweight and two pulleys with a motor in the middle makes an elevator easier to move.
(Naeem Akhtar)

But how can a wheel with string over it, help us to lift a load with very less effort? Well, pulleys
help us by changing the direction of the force we use to lift an object. Is it easier for you to pull
up on a rope or pull down on a rope? By using a pulley, we do not have to pull up on a rope to
lift a heavy object attached to it, but instead we can pull down on it. Think of a flagpole as an
example. When you pull down on the rope of a flagpole, the flag goes up the pole to wave in
the air. That's because a flagpole has a pulley on it. By using pulleys to redirect force, a heavy
stone could be lifted off the ground easily. To simplify this effort even more, workers using a
pulley could move a large stone up a ramp by pulling on a rope while walking down the ramp,
using gravity to their advantage.
2. Mechanical Advantage (Muhammad Amir)
The real mechanical advantage of a pulley is in using many pulleys at once. Using multiple
pulleys decreases the amount of force necessary to move an object by increasing the amount
of rope used to raise the object. The mechanical advantage (M.A) of a pulley system is equal
to the number of ropes supporting the movable load. (That means, do not count ropes that
are only used for redirecting.) So, if two pulleys are used together, the amount of force required
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is cut in half, but twice the amount of rope is needed to be pulled to raise the object to the same
desired height. Mathematically it is the ratio of load to the effort.
𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝐸
𝑀𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 = 𝑀. 𝐴 = = (1)
𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝐹

Figure 2. Working of mechanical advantage. (Muhammad Hamza)

This demo requires three students, two bamboo sticks and ~6 meters of rope. Tie the rope to
one of the bamboo sticks (bamboo stick 1) and wrap the rope around the other bamboo stick
(bamboo stick 2). Have two students stand about a meter apart each holding one bamboo stick,
and try to keep the bamboo sticks separated while the third student pulls on the free end of the
rope; it should be a difficult task to pull the bamboo stick sticks together. Next, wrap the rope
around each of the bamboo sticks again. Try again to pull the students/bamboo sticks together;
the more times you wrap the rope around the bamboo sticks, the easier it is for the third student
to pull the others together! This is an example showing the power of mechanical advantage.
Pulleys can be much more complicated. Engineers combine many pulleys into a pulley system
that significantly reduces the amount of force required to lift an object. They often use pulley
systems to move extremely heavy objects. A block and tackle is an example of a pulley system
that can be attached to anything. It may take a lot of cable or rope, but a human using enough
pulleys could lift several tons. Engineers use the block and tackle along with motors and
electronics to create modern devices that operate with very low power requirements, such as
cranes and elevators.
3. Velocity Ratio (Naeem Akhtar)
The ratio of the distance moved by the point at which the effort is applied in a simple machine
to the distance moved by the point at which the load is applied, in the same time. Velocity ratio
of a pulley system remains same throughout the experiment. It depends on the radius of pullies.
As larger pulley have large circumference and small pulley have small circumference. Velocity
ratio is calculated by a formula.
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝐷𝐸
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 = 𝑉. 𝑅 = = (2)
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝐷𝐹
Always remember the law of conservation of energy. I n pulley systems the net work always remain
same. It must be remembered that the effort moves through a much greater distance than that of the
load. Consequently, the work obtained from the machine is equal to the work put into it, less any
work wasted in the machine. It will be clear that, in order to raise the load by 1 m, each
string supporting the load must be shortened by 1 m. The effort must therefore be applied through
a total distance of 4 m. The ratio of the distance moved by the effort to the distance moved by the
load in the same time is called the velocity ratio of the machine
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Figure 3. Different pulley systems and explanation of net work according to their velocity ratio

4. Efficiency (Naeem Akhtar)

Efficiency is the measure that how much the input gives us output. The basic formula of
efficiency is
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = Ƞ = ∗ 100
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡
In this case the input is work by effort and output is work by load. So,
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑏𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = Ƞ = ∗ 100
𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑏𝑦 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡
𝐹 ∗ 𝐷𝐹
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = Ƞ = ∗ 100
𝐸 ∗ 𝐷𝐸
𝐹/E
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = Ƞ = ∗ 100
𝐷𝐸 /𝐷𝐹
From equation (1) and (2) the formula becomes:
𝑀𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = Ƞ = ∗ 100 (3)
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜
In reality to make a system with 100% efficiency is not possible.
5. Types of Pulley (Muhammad Hamza)

 Fixed Pulley
When the block of the pulley is fixed on a high platform, it is known as fixed. An extensible
string passes over the groove where its one end is attached to the body to be lifted while the
other end is free.
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 Movable Pulley
When the block of the pulley is not fixed but carries the load, it is known as Movable. An
inextensible string is tied around the groove where its one end is fixed to fixed support while
the other end is kept free to apply the effort. As the effort is applied, the block together with
the load moves upward.
 Compound pulley
A compound pulley system combines a fixed (not moving) pulley with a movable pulley
(attached to the load). The mechanical advantage can be greater than with only fixed pulleys.
Using pulleys and string, try building your own pulley system.
6. Advantages VS Disadvantages (Muhammad Hamza)
Advantages of pulleys Disadvantages of pulleys

 It provides mechanical advantage while  It works makes use of friction while

lifting heavy loads. transferring motion hence there are
chances of slip. However, this problem
can be solved using timing belt and
timing pulley.

 Silent in operation.  It is not a suitable solution for very

high-power transfer at high rpm.

 At acts as a support for long distance  While taking mechanical advantage

moving ropes. lifting distance increases.

 Easy and cheaper to manufacture  In long time fatigue and creep happens
than gears. to rope.

 No lubrication required.  Not as reliable when compared with

gears.

7. Applications of pulley (Naeem Akhtar)

Pulleys are used in many ways, everyday. Some common examples are large construction
cranes that use pulleys to lift heavy objects with what would normally be a very underpowered
motor, weight machines at a gym, some elevators, flagpoles, window blinds, motors, rock
climbing devices, and sailing and fishing boats.