Fixed Pulleys
The purpose of this experiment is to verify the functioning of a fixed pulley as a simple machine.
What students learn
- Fixed pulley
The science behind this experiment
The two 50 g weights are attached to both sides of the pulley. They will be indicated as P and R. By shifting R vertically you can easily verify with the help of the graduated scale that the vertical shift of P is identical.
This type of machine is used to change the direction of a force. The magnitude of the output force is the same as the magnitude of the input force, hence the fixed pulley has no mechanical advantage.
In every position the fixed pulley behaves as a lever with arms of equal length. The fulcrum is located on the pulley axis and the arm lengths are equal to the pulley radius.
Equipment used
- Pulley with hook — MEC-024
- Cylindrical masses with hook (50, 25, 10g) — MEC-018, MEC-019, MEC-020
Run this experiment in your classroom
This experiment is part of ATP Volta — a self-contained mobile science lab that turns an ordinary classroom into a working STEM laboratory, with over 200 experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, robotics and engineering. Gali, the AI tutor built into ATP Connect, guides students through each step and answers their questions at the bench.
See the ATP Volta mobile science labTalk to our team