Question

Why a movable pulley is more useful than fixed pulley? explain

(a) Movable pulleys don't provide any advantage over fixed pulleys.
(b) Movable pulleys make it easier to lift heavy objects because they change the direction of the force.
(c) Fixed pulleys are more versatile than movable pulleys.
(d) Movable pulleys and fixed pulleys provide the same mechanical advantage.

Answer 1

A movable pulley is more useful than a fixed pulley primarily because it offers a mechanical advantage, requiring less force to lift a heavy object by multiplying the input force. Thus, the option b is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

A movable pulley is more useful than a fixed pulley because it provides a mechanical advantage (MA), which means less force is required to lift a heavy object compared to pulling it directly. A movable pulley can change the direction of the force and multiply it. If a system is frictionless, the force output is roughly an integral multiple of the tension in the cable, corresponding to the number of cables pulling on the load. This results in a movable pulley system having an MA greater than 1, typically equal to the number of cables supporting the load. In contrast, an ordinary fixed pulley has an MA of 1, as it only changes the direction of the force but does not multiply it.