Utah Education Network
Uen: Lifting the Load
Discover how much force is needed to lift objects without and with a pulley.
Practical Action
Practical Action: Squashed Tomato Challenge
Challenge students to take on a real-life problem affecting people in Nepal. Many farmers living on the mountainside there grow fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes. To earn a living, they need to sell these at the local market. The...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Comparing Mechanical Advantage and Efficiency of Pulleys
Students determine the mechanical advantage of three pulley set-ups. Then they measure the work input and output to calculate the efficiency. Finally, students determine the relationship between the mechanical advantage and the...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Pulleys and Force
Learners work in teams to learn how pulleys and pulley systems impact everyday life. This activity explores the concept of force and shows how the use of pulleys can greatly reduce required force.
Creative Science Centre
Creative Science Centre: Home Made Pulleys
Instructions for making pulleys at home.
Other
Pulley Basics
Here are some animated drawings of a fixed pulley and a movable pulley. Then, of course, there is the combined pulley which makes life even more easier.
Other
Hognosesam: Pulleys and Gears
This site gives a small amount of space to pulleys, and then provides a wealth of information about gears.
Other
How to smile.org: Building Pulleys
An activity where students use pulley systems to pick up a paint can and move an eraser from the ground to the top of a desk. After completing this activity, students will understand how pulley systems can help us do work.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys
Students continue to explore the story of building a pyramid, learning about the simple machine called a pulley. They learn how a pulley can be used to change the direction of applied forces and move/lift extremely heavy objects, and the...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Mechanical Advantage
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Actual and ideal mechanical advantage, how to calculate them and the mechanical advantage of different types of machines.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Physical Science: Pulley
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a pulley is and the three basic types, and the mechanical advantage of a pulley.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Moment of Inertia of Pulley
This lab is designed to have students learn how the size, mass and mass distribution of a pulley influences the rate at which a mass attached to the pulley will accelerate. The pulley is frictionless and the string's mass is negligible.
Physics Aviary
Physics Aviary: Pulley Lab
This lab is designed to have students find the relationship between the number of pulleys used and the force required to lift a mass. Students will see that it is not actually the number of pulleys that matter, but the number of strings...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Examples of Pulleys in Daily Life
Learn how pulleys work and their many uses in everyday life, industry, recreation, and other activities. Includes many pictures of pulleys and pulley systems.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Simple Machines: Pulley Systems
Describes some history of the pulley, how it works, the formula for calculating its mechanical advantage, types of pulley systems, and some applications of pulleys.
Integrated Publishing
Integrated Publishing: Pulley Mechanical Advantage
Good illustrations and explanations for finding the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
Other
New Path Learning: Virtual Lab: Exploring Pulleys
Investigate how changing the load, number of pulleys, and the size of the person affect the function of a pulley system. Students can record their observations on a data table.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Dirtmeister's Science Reporters: Simple Machines: Pulley
With-it explanation of how the pulley works, where it's found. Most interesting, as Scholastic material usually is.
Walter Fendt
Walter Fendt: Sistema De Poleas
This site is an interactive applet using the principles of a pulley system. The number of pulleys can be varied as well as the load lifted
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Secrets of Lost Empires I Colosseum
Discover how to use pulleys to change the direction of force, compare different pulley designs and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a pulley.
NASA
Nasa: Simple Machines
A lesson plan site that contains activities designed to give grades 3 and 4 experiences in using simple machines.
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute Online: The Pulley
This site provides an easy to understand experiment that will demonstrate the pulley to students in grades K-3. It requires only everyday materials. The students are encouraged to discover some of these concepts for themselves and apply...
Other
Colts Neck Township Schools: Hands on Technology: Marvelous Machines: Pulleys 2
Student handout for conducting an experiment in using one pulley or two pulleys to lift a load.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Simple Machines: Pulley: Lesson 2
This lesson will explain how to calculate the mechanical advantage of a pulley system. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Simple Machines: Pulley."