What is the Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of a compound pulley with 4 supporting strands and a 400 N load?

The Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of a pulley system can be determined by counting the number of supporting strands that bear the load. In this case, a compound pulley with 4 supporting strands means that each strand equally shares the load.

To calculate the IMA, you simply take the total number of supporting strands. Since there are 4 strands supporting the 400 N load, the IMA is equal to 4. This indicates that, ideally, the pulley system reduces the amount of effort needed to lift a load by a factor of 4, meaning you would need to exert a force equivalent to 400 N divided by the IMA of 4 to lift the load.

This factor reflects the mechanical advantage that the system provides, allowing for easier lifting of heavier weights by distributing the load across multiple strands.