Lesson 7: And Now, A Change In Direction

Pulleys are another type of simple machine often encountered in our daily lives. Pulley systems come in many different forms, such as single, multiple, fixed, and moveable pulleys. Are you ready to do some heavy lifting to investigate pulleys?

Doing the science

1. Start the Machines Simulation by clicking on the "Sim" tab.
2. Click the "Pulleys" button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Make sure the top-left pulley (Single, Fixed) is selected from the four pulley buttons at the bottom of the screen.
4. Use the Newton Converter button at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen if you need help converting the hanging mass from kilograms to newtons for the Force on Mass Due to Gravity column.
5. Click the green "Pull" button on the Force Device in the middle of the screen.
6. Note and record in Table 1 the height the 1.0-kg mass lifts off the ground, the applied force, and the distance the Force Device pulled the string that is displayed on the Force Device.
7. Click the "Reset" button.
8. Click on the 2.0-kg mass to replace the 1.0-kg mass on the pulley. Repeat the experiment with the 2.0-kg mass.
9. Make sure to note and record your data in Table 1.