Block and tackle sheave to change the direction of the pulling line, which increases friction losses without improving the velocity ratio. Situations in which reeving to disadvantage may be more desirable include lifting from a fixed point overhead; the additional pulley allows pulling downwards instead of upwards so that the weight of the lifter can offset the weight of the load. The formula used to find the effort required to raise a given weight using a block and fall: where formula_3 is the force applied to the hauling part of the line (the input force), formula_4 is the weight of the load (the
Block and tackle output force), formula_5 is the ideal mechanical advantage of the system (which is the same as the number of segments of line extending from the moving block), and formula_6 is the mechanical efficiency of the system (equal to one for an ideal frictionless system; a fraction less than one for real-world systems with energy losses due to friction and other causes). If formula_7 is the number of sheaves in the purchase, and there is a roughly formula_8% loss of efficiency at each sheave due to friction, then: This approximation is more accurate for smaller values of formula_7 and formula_8. A