Pulley Radius: how to factor this into calculations?

[LLogan]

Hi guys,

My team is thinking of using a winch for an elevator system. Naturally, we need a few pulleys. From what I learned in my physics courses, pulleys just redirect the direction of force/weight. However, we all know the AP curricula mostly assumes the "perfect physics world."

Theoretically, smaller pulleys have a lesser moment of inertia, but I am not sure if that even factors into our FIRST-scale applications. On the other hand, I have heard anecdotally that larger diameter pulleys are "better" (sorry, don't know the physics-related term I can give for this).

Please help enlighten some confusion on my team.

-Logan