A block and tackle is used to raise a load of 250N through a vertical distance of 30m. What is the efficiency of the system if the work done against frictio...
A block and tackle is used to raise a load of 250N through a vertical distance of 30m. What is the efficiency of the system if the work done against friction is 1500J?
Answer Details
A block and tackle is a system of pulleys that allows a person to lift a heavy load with less effort than it would take to lift the load directly. The efficiency of the block and tackle system is the ratio of the work output to the work input, expressed as a percentage.
In this problem, the load being lifted is 250N, and it is being lifted through a vertical distance of 30m. The work done against friction is 1500J. We need to calculate the efficiency of the system.
The work output of the system is the work done on the load, which is the product of the force applied to the load and the distance the load is lifted. In this case, the work output is:
Work output = Force x Distance = 250N x 30m = 7500J
The work input of the system is the work done by the person who is operating the block and tackle system. This includes the work done to lift the load as well as the work done against friction. We can calculate the work input as:
Work input = Work output + Work against friction = 7500J + 1500J = 9000J
Now we can calculate the efficiency of the system:
Efficiency = (Work output / Work input) x 100%
Efficiency = (7500J / 9000J) x 100%
Efficiency = 83.3%
Therefore, the efficiency of the system is 83.3%.