To determine the correct statement about a single fixed pulley, let's examine each option related to its mechanical properties:
A. It has a mechanical advantage less than 1:
A mechanical advantage (MA) of less than 1 means that the output force is less than the input force. However, a single fixed pulley does not amplify force. It only changes the direction of the force.
B. It has a mechanical advantage equal to 1:
A single fixed pulley changes the direction of the input force without amplifying it. This means the force you apply on one end of the rope is exactly the force you get out on the other end. Therefore, the mechanical advantage (MA) is equal to 1.
C. It has a mechanical advantage greater than 1:
A mechanical advantage greater than 1 means that the output force is greater than the input force. A single fixed pulley does not increase the force, it only redirects it, maintaining the same magnitude.
D. It has no friction:
While an ideal pulley might be considered to have no friction, all real pulleys experience some friction. This option is not generally true for real-world applications.
Considering all the explanations above, the correct statement is:
B. It has a mechanical advantage equal to 1.
Hence, the accurate answer is:
It has a mechanical advantage equal to 1 (Option B).
