A pulley works by utilizing a grooved wheel and a taut rope, cable, or belt to change the direction of an applied force and distribute weight efficiently. In a single fixed pulley, the wheel simply changes the direction of the pull—making it easier to pull downward to lift a load upward against gravity. In a movable pulley system or block-and-tackle assembly, the load is supported by multiple segments of rope. This distributes the weight across different rope strands, providing a mechanical advantage that allows a user to lift heavy objects using a fraction of the actual force, though it requires pulling a greater length of rope through the system.
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