Mechanisms/The Lever

A lever is a length of strong material like a pole or a pipe, that when moved a long way at one end, moves the other end a short distance, thus amplifying the force used to move the lever.

The point about which the lever moves is called "the Fulcrum". This needs to be a strong point that will not slip or crumble during use.

Levers can bend if they are not rigid enough, or even snap off if too much effort is used!

force1   x    distance1   =   force2    x    distance2