Question

A man has to lift a sack of sugar weighing$240N$. If he uses a single fixed pulley, how much effort will he need to apply? What will be the mechanical advantage?

Answer 1

Step 1: Given data

Load = $240N$

The mechanical advantage of a single fixed pulley is always one since the effort applied is the same as the load lifted.

Hence, the mechanical advantage = $1$

Step 2: Formula used

$Mechanicaladvantage=\raisebox{1ex}{$load$}\!\left/ \!\raisebox{-1ex}{$effort$}\right.$

Step 3: Finding the effort

$Mechanicaladvantage=\raisebox{1ex}{$load$}\!\left/ \!\raisebox{-1ex}{$effort$}\right.$

$$\begin{gathered} 1=\raisebox{1ex}{$240$}\!\left/ \!\raisebox{-1ex}{$effort$}\right. \\ effort=240N \end{gathered}$$

Hence, the effort he needs to apply is $240N$ and the mechanical advantage is 1.