In a pulley system, what happens if the applied force is less than the weight of the mass?

In a pulley system, if the applied force is less than the weight of the mass, the mass cannot overcome the gravitational force acting on it. Since the weight of the mass is the force pulling it downward, a force that is insufficient to counteract this downward force means that the mass will either remain stationary or begin to descend.

This dynamic is grounded in Newton's laws of motion. When the forces acting on an object are unbalanced, as is the case when the force exerted on the mass is less than its weight, the object will accelerate in the direction of the stronger force. In this case, the stronger force is the weight of the mass, pulling it downwards. If the applied force is indeed less than the weight, the system is not in a state of equilibrium, resulting in the mass not being able to rise.

The other possibilities—moving upwards or remaining in equilibrium—would only occur if the applied force was equal to or greater than the weight of the mass. A pulley breaking is also unlikely unless the forces applied exceed the maximum strength of the pulley, which is not a factor in this scenario.