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

It’s all about mechanical advantage. There is a practical limit to it, as every time you introduce a pulley you have to reduce the systems efficiency by about 10% due to friction.

Answer 2

It’s all about mechanical advantage. There is a practical limit to it, as every time you introduce a pulley you have to reduce the systems efficiency by about 10% due to friction.