Use the image above to answer the following questions.
a. Will the mechanical force required to lift the block increase or decrease for the person using the pulley? Explain your answer.
Will the direction of the force change? Explain your answer.
Answer a and b.
a. The mechanical force required to lift the block will decrease for the person using the pulley. This is because the pulley helps to distribute the weight of the block over multiple rope segments, reducing the force needed to lift it.
b. The direction of the force will not change. The person pulling the rope will still need to exert a force in the upwards direction to lift the block, even though the pulley system helps to make this easier by distributing the force.