Atwood's machine is the name of a device that looks like this: Also known as "two masses on a pulley". Surprisingly, this simple device comes up a lot in intro physics texts. It also brings up some ...

Have you ever seen a flag being raised, or wondered how a mechanical clock works? Let’s take a look at some of the simple mechanisms that they use. Pulleys and gears. When a flag is raised, it will ...

Pulley systems are simple machines that make lifting heavy objects easier. They consist of a rope or cable that passes over one or more wheels (pulleys). A single pulley changes the direction of force ...

One common misconception is that belts will slip more frequently on composite pulleys than on metal pulleys. Not so! The wedging action of V-belts is so efficient that slip should never be an issue; ...