Category:Levers

Levers are the simplest form of mechanism and may date back to the time of the earliest civilisations. By using a stiff branch resting on a log for example, early man would have been able to move heavy loads such as rocks. This is similar to the way we might use a bottle opener to remove a crown cap bottle top, pliers to grip, scissors to cut, or pincers to take out a nail.

A lever is a rigid beam that can rotate about a fixed point called the fulcrum. An effort applied to one end of the beam will cause a load to be moved at the other. By moving the fulcrum nearer to the load, you can lift a large load with only a little effort. (This is called mechanical advantage.)