Pulley system, the massless and frictionless pulleys do not dissipate energy and allow for a change of direction of a rope that does not stretch or wear. In this case, a force balance on a free body that includes the load, "W", and "n" supporting sections of a rope with tension "T", yields: The ratio of the load to the input tension force is the mechanical advantage "MA" of the pulley system, Thus, the mechanical advantage of the system is equal to the number of sections of rope supporting the load. A belt and pulley system is characterised by two or
Ant on a rubber rope Ant on a rubber rope The ant on a rubber rope is a mathematical puzzle with a solution that appears counterintuitive or paradoxical. It is sometimes given as a worm, or inchworm, on a rubber or elastic band, but the principles of the puzzle remain the same. The details of the puzzle can vary, but a typical form is as follows: At first consideration it seems that the ant will never reach the end of the rope, but in fact it does. (In the form stated above, it would take 8.9 years.) Whatever the length of the rope and the