Which of the following actions will improve the efficiency of the pulley system?
Answer Details
To improve the efficiency of the pulley system, the action required is to reduce the mass of the pulley. This is because the efficiency of a pulley system is determined by the mechanical advantage, which is the ratio of output force to input force. The output force is the weight of the load being lifted, while the input force is the force applied to the string to lift the load. When the mass of the pulley is reduced, the input force required to lift the load is also reduced, resulting in a higher mechanical advantage and hence, a more efficient pulley system.
Increasing the friction force between the string and the pulley, increasing the mass per unit length of the string or increasing the mass of the pulley will have the opposite effect of reducing the mechanical advantage and therefore reducing the efficiency of the pulley system.