How can pulleys be combined to increase mechanical advantage?

Multiple pulleys can be combined in a block-and-tackle arrangement to significantly enhance mechanical advantage. This setup consists of multiple fixed and movable pulleys that work together to reduce the amount of force required to lift a load. In a block-and-tackle system, the tension in the rope is shared among the pulleys. As a result, the effort needed to lift a weight decreases because the load is distributed across more sections of rope.

Using multiple pulleys allows for a greater reduction in required lifting force compared to using a single pulley or varying pulley sizes. Essentially, the mechanical advantage increases with each added pulley, meaning less input force is needed to accomplish the same work. This principle is commonly utilized in various mechanical systems and applications where lifting heavy objects is necessary.