Strength and pulleys

Question

How does it work metal wires, and pulleys?

Had a quick chat with a crane operator, using a wire for lifting. Asked what the max load he could lift. He said X amount, but if he uses a pulley, he could lift almost 2 times X.

Is this true? Is there a max to how many pulleys you can use/weight you can lift
Is the lifting curve linear or exponential?

TYIA

In: 20

Answer 1

Pulleys multiply your strength.
With X pulleys, you need X times less strength to pull an object than with 1 pulley or directly (you would need the same strength, just not in the same direction).

Theoretically, you could use an enormous amount of pulleys and lift anything with one finger. But practically, you need your pulleys to be strong enough not to break, to not have too much friction…

Answer 2

Pulleys multiply your strength.
With X pulleys, you need X times less strength to pull an object than with 1 pulley or directly (you would need the same strength, just not in the same direction).

Theoretically, you could use an enormous amount of pulleys and lift anything with one finger. But practically, you need your pulleys to be strong enough not to break, to not have too much friction…