Moment of Force

Archimedes (c. 287 BC – c. 212 BC) is reputed to have once said “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.”

This is because, when using a lever, it is not only the force exerted which matters, but also the distance it is applied from the Fulcrum so a small force exerted at the end of a long lever can lift a heavy load.

A Force multiplied by the distance it is applied from a Fulcrum or other fixed point (F x D) is known as the Moment of a Force - (often shortened to simply Moment). The Force is measured in newtons and the Distance in metres giving units for a Moment of Force as a newton/metre (Nm).

Torque is a measure of the effort need to turn or twist an object about its axis and so it too is a Moment of Force measured in newton/metres (Nm).