Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test 2025 – The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

In this scenario, when determining the ratio between the pulling force (F) and the load (L) with pulleys, it's essential to recognize how the mechanical advantage is affected by the pulleys' weight. Here, it is given that each pulley weighs the same amount as the load itself.

For a scenario with pulleys, if the weight of the load is denoted as L, the system's efficiency and mechanical advantage need to be taken into account. If the weight of the pulleys equals the load, then we can deduce that the pulling force required to lift the load makes use of the pulleys essentially balancing out their own weight, simplifying the calculations.

In this case, no additional mechanical advantage is provided by the pulleys since their weight directly offsets the pulling force applied. Thus, the force needed (F) to lift the load (L) equals the load itself. As a result, the ratio F/L simplifies to 1 (or F = L), indicating that the pulling force is equal to the load.

Therefore, the ratio between the pulling force and the load is correctly identified as 1, emphasizing that the pulling force exactly matches the load in this specific setup.