Lifting the weight without a pulley requires a force of 400 newtons over a distance of 4 meters. How do these values change when the pulley is applied?

Question

(1 point)
Responses

The force decreases, while the distance increases.
The force decreases, while the distance increases.

Both the force and the distance decrease.
Both the force and the distance decrease.

The force increases, while the distance decreases.
The force increases, while the distance decreases.

Both the force and the distance increase.

Answer 1

When a pulley is applied to lift a weight, it changes the force needed to lift the weight and the distance over which the force is applied, depending on the type of pulley system used.

In a typical single fixed pulley scenario:

• The force required to lift the weight decreases because the pulley changes the direction of the force, allowing you to lift with less effort.
• However, the distance you need to pull the rope increases because you must pull the rope longer than the distance the weight is lifted.

Thus, the correct response is:

The force decreases, while the distance increases.