Step by Step Activities
Place your finger on one side of the lever to hold it in place and a stack of coins on the other side near the fulcrum.
What happens as you slide the coins farther away from the fulcrum? Does the force on your finger increase or decrease?
What happens if you leave the coins in the same spot but begin changing the distance between your finger and the fulcrum? When is the force applied to your finger the greatest?
Place two coins on both sides of the lever, 3 inches from the center.
What happens when you move one of the stacks to the left a little? Which way does it rotate?
What direction should you move the other stack of coins such that that will cause rotation in the opposite direction?
Place 5 coins at a distance of 2 inches from the fulcrum on one side only.
What distance do you need to place 3 coins on the other side to balance and have zero rotation?
Place 2 coins at approximately 4.5 inches from the fulcrum on one side.
If you were to place a load at 1.5 inches from the fulcrum, how many coins would you have to use to achieve equilibrium?