Welcome to Milena's page on Levers! Here you will learn about what a lever is. On the Mechanical Advantage page, the mathematics and science behind the functionality of a lever are explained. Next we will learn about the 3 different classes of levers and some examples we find in everyday life. On the Practice Questions page, you will also be able to test your knowledge on levers. Definition: A lever is a rigid bar that is supported at one point. This point on the lever is called the fulcrum and it has a fixed position.
The word lever comes from the French lever, meaning "to raise". A lever is one of the six simple machines the other five being: pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, screw and wedge. We use levers in every day life and they are most commonly used to lift heavy weights with the least amount of effort.
Some examples of levers we use in everyday life are a shovel, a wheelbarrow, a hockey stick, a wooden bat, and tweezers.
(from L to R) A shovel, a hockey stick, baseball bat
Levers have been around for a very long time and are considered to be the fathers of all simple machines (along with the inclined plane).
The Great Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the world, were believed to have been built using levers.
Archaeologists suggest that the workers set the many blocks in place by using long wooden levers.
The Great Pyramids of Giza
Below you will find an introductory video on levers:
LEVERS - Home Page
Welcome to Milena's page on Levers! Here you will learn about what a lever is. On the Mechanical Advantage page, the mathematics and science behind the functionality of a lever are explained. Next we will learn about the 3 different classes of levers and some examples we find in everyday life. On the Practice Questions page, you will also be able to test your knowledge on levers.
Definition: A lever is a rigid bar that is supported at one point. This point on the lever is called the fulcrum and it has a fixed position.
The word lever comes from the French lever, meaning "to raise". A lever is one of the six simple machines the other five being: pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, screw and wedge. We use levers in every day life and they are most commonly used to lift heavy weights with the least amount of effort.
Below you will find an introductory video on levers: