What Went Wrong with Calculating Pulley Efficiency?

[livvy07]

Homework Statement

we did a lab on pulleys. The weight lifted was 19.62 N. It rose 0.20 meter with us applying a lifting force of 11 N and pulling the rose a distance of 0.16.

The Attempt at a Solution

I tried to find the efficiency of the pulley, so E=work out/work in
so work out=FD=(19.62)(0.20)=3.92
and work in=FD=(11)(0.16)=1.76
yet the work output can't be greater than the work input, so I'm clearly doing something wrong.

Any ideas? Is it a math error or bad lab results? Any help would be great :)

 

[Doc Al]

It's not a math problem. Those measurements don't make sense. How did you measure the applied force and distances?

 

[livvy07]

oh no. That means the whole lab is wrong, but I'm doing the math right?
We measured the applied force with a spring scale and the distances with a ruler. i think the distances are completely wrong now...

 

[Doc Al]

That means the whole lab is wrong, but I'm doing the math right?

Yep, your math is fine.

 

[livvy07]

oh well. Thanks for the help though! Guess I'll have to start making up numbers