Loads on cords bent over pulleys
Why the tension doubles where a cord passes over a pulley
Six examples across the top of the sheet show weights of 100 and 200 pounds suspended from cords, some running over pulleys, labelled a, b, c, d and m. Leonardo argues that a cord carrying 100 pounds on each side of a pulley bears 200 at its middle over the pulley, and so will break there. He then contrasts a cord bent (knee-shaped) around a pulley, which suffers more than double the effort, with a straight cord carrying the same load.
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Tension is doubled at the pulley
A cord bearing 100 pounds on the far side of the pole and 100 on the near side has 200 pounds at its middle, where it passes over the pulley, and it is there that it will break.
Bent cord c versus straight cord d
The cord bent around a pulley, joined at one end to the load and at the other to its mover, feels more than double the effort of a straight cord carrying the same weight. With bent cord c and straight cord d each loaded with 100 pounds, the 100 of c draw off another 100 at m, so c suffers 200 while d feels only 100.
