Making Your Own Pulley

Print out this page and with a few simple items you can make your own pulley.  This will help you to discover for yourself how pulleys operate.  Remember to ask your parents to help you.

Materials

rope (3 feet long)
coat hangers
2 empty spools
a small toy
safety pins

 

 

 

Activity

1.  Insert coat hanger through one spool.

2.  Mount hanger onto steady surface for support.

3. Hang the rope over the top spool (or fixed pulley).

4.  Insert two coat hangers through the other spool (or movable pulley).  See illustration

5.  Connect the rope to the top hanger of the movable pulley.

6.  Pull the end of the rope under the bottom spool.

7.  Hang the small toy from the bottom hanger of the movable pulley.

8.  Pull up on the free side of the rope.  What happens to your small toy?

 

 
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MP3430 Work & Machines