Pulley If there are "p" of these parts of the rope supporting the load "W," then a force balance on the moving block shows that the tension in each of the parts of the rope must be "W/p." This means the input force on the rope is "T"="W/p." Thus, the block and tackle reduces the input force by the factor "p." The simplest theory of operation for a pulley system assumes that the pulleys and lines are weightless, and that there is no energy loss due to friction. It is also assumed that the lines do not stretch. In equilibrium, 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