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Levers

A lever is a rigid bar that pivots around a fulcrum to transmit force. It provides mechanical advantage by multiplying the input force. There are three classes of levers - class 1 has the fulcrum between the load and effort force, class 2 has the load between the fulcrum and effort force, and class 3 has the effort force between the fulcrum and load. Common examples that use levers are pliers, nut crackers, and excavator arms.

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117 views3 pages

Levers

A lever is a rigid bar that pivots around a fulcrum to transmit force. It provides mechanical advantage by multiplying the input force. There are three classes of levers - class 1 has the fulcrum between the load and effort force, class 2 has the load between the fulcrum and effort force, and class 3 has the effort force between the fulcrum and load. Common examples that use levers are pliers, nut crackers, and excavator arms.

Uploaded by

svenkatk737
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Levers

What is a lever?
A lever is a rigid bar that pivots about a fulcrum. It transmits an input motion and force, (the effort) through
the lever pivoting on a fulcrum to a resistance force called a load.

Load
The load is anything that is being moved by a lever.

Effort force
The effort force is the energy applied to a lever to move a load.

Fulcrum
The fulcrum is the point at which the lever pivots. A lever may rest on a fulcrum or it may swivel on an axle,
e.g. a see-saw (class 1 lever) and a wheel barrow (class 2 lever).

Mechanical advantage (MA)


Machines and mechanical devices are used to create a mechanical advantage. Mechanical advantage helps
us do work such as move heavy loads for a relatively small amount of effort. Mechanical advantage can be
worked out by dividing the load force by the effort force,

Levers create a mechanical advantage. The long lever pivoted near one end enables a small effort force to
lift a heavy load.

This type of mechanical advantage is called distance mechanical advantage.

Creating a mechanical advantage using a lever


The mechanical advantage of a lever is worked out by dividing the distance of the effort force to the fulcrum
by the distance of the load force to the fulcrum.

Multimedia Design and Technology Education http://www.notesandsketches.co.uk


Classes of levers
There are three classes of levers. Each class of lever has the load and effort force in specific positions
relative to the fulcrum.

Class 1 lever

A Class 1 lever has the fulcrum between the load and the effort force.

Class 2 lever
A Class 2 lever has the load between the fulcrum and the effort force.

Class 3 lever
A Class 3 has the effort force between the load and the fulcrum.

Bell Crank Lever


A bell crank lever is an angled Class 1 lever. It is a
Class 1 lever because the fulcrum is between the
load and the effort force.

The bell crank lever is used when the effort force


must be at an angle, usually a right angle, to the
load.

Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam that is fixed at one
end only. Load is applied to the unsupported
end.

A cantilever may be classified as a type of


Class 1 lever as fulcrum is between the effort
force and the load.

Multimedia Design and Technology Education http://www.notesandsketches.co.uk


Examples of the use of levers

Class1 lever: a pair of pliers Class 2 lever: a nut cracker

Three examples of tools that utilise levers are


shown.

The pair of pliers has its fulcrum between the


effort force and the load, so it is a Class 1 lever.

The nut cracker has the load between the effort


force and the fulcrum, so it is a Class 2 lever.

The lower arm of the digger has its effort force


between the fulcrum and the load, so it is an
example of a Class 3 lever.

Class 3 lever: the lower digger arm

Multimedia Design and Technology Education http://www.notesandsketches.co.uk

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