Final answer:
The mechanical advantage of a pulley system can be determined by dividing the force applied to the system by the force required to lift the load. In this case, the mechanical advantage is approximately 4. The correct answer is (d) 4 ropes are required because the actual mechanical advantage is 3.80.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mechanical advantage of a pulley system can be determined by dividing the force applied to the system (known as the effort force) by the force required to lift the load (known as the load force). In the given pulley system, the load force is 200N and the effort force is 52N. Therefore, the mechanical advantage can be calculated as:
Mechanical Advantage = Load Force / Effort Force = 200N / 52N = 3.85 (approximately 4)
Based on the options provided, the correct answer is (d) 4 ropes are required because the actual mechanical advantage is 3.80.