Qu118 - Biggest pull
I really like this question. Many people struggle with even the easy part, despite thinking they are familiar with how pulleys work. You should try the harder variant to get a more complete understanding of how to use control volume analysis.
A man has one single pulley, and one double pulley composed of two wheels mounted on the same axle and able to rotate independently. The pulleys are light and frictionless. He wishes to exert the maximum pull on an object. Using a light inextensible rope, two pulley configurations are possible, arrangement A, or reversed arrangement B.
- For ★★, which arrangement would allow him to exert the biggest pull?
- For ★★★★, draw force diagrams which reconcile the differences between arrangements A and B.
