If a pulley system has a mechanical advantage of 4, how many ropes support the load?

A mechanical advantage of 4 in a pulley system indicates that the load being lifted is reduced to a quarter of its original weight due to the assistance provided by the pulley configuration. In simple terms, the mechanical advantage tells us how many times the effort is multiplied by the system.

In a typical pulley system, the mechanical advantage can be calculated as the ratio of the load force to the effort force. Each segment of rope lifting the load contributes to the total mechanical advantage. Therefore, if the mechanical advantage is 4, it suggests that there are 4 segments of rope effectively sharing the load.

This means that for every unit of effort applied, four units of load are supported. In practical terms, if a pulley setup has a mechanical advantage of 4, we expect to see 4 ropes providing that support to the load. Thus, the correct answer reflects the number of ropes in the system that are working together to lift the load.