"Archimedes is credited with saying 'Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.' Discuss the principle he was trying to convey with this statement."
I vaguely understand the concept, but how could I phrase my answer properly/explain it? Any extra info would be great (:
I vaguely understand the concept, but how could I phrase my answer properly/explain it? Any extra info would be great (:
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Its a simple physics formula; F = M x A or Force = Mass x Armlength (in this case that's what you take the A to mean).
Take a seesaw (literally!) and place one fat kid HALFWAY down one end, then put a skinny kid on the other end. Shift the fat kid so the seesaw balances. Now if you know the weight of one of the kids you can calculate the weight of the other kid.
Oh! One thing you must realize is that not only is the weight dependent on the arm length, so is the DISPLACEMENT; if one arm of Archimedes' lever is twice as long as the other, one end will move half as much as the other.
Take a seesaw (literally!) and place one fat kid HALFWAY down one end, then put a skinny kid on the other end. Shift the fat kid so the seesaw balances. Now if you know the weight of one of the kids you can calculate the weight of the other kid.
Oh! One thing you must realize is that not only is the weight dependent on the arm length, so is the DISPLACEMENT; if one arm of Archimedes' lever is twice as long as the other, one end will move half as much as the other.
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That by using the principle of torque, you can exert the same required force on one end, but reduce the force that you need to exert by making a longer lever.