Levers (Oxford AQA IGCSE Physics)

Revision Note

Leander Oates

Written by: Leander Oates

Reviewed by: Caroline Carroll

Levers

  • Levers increase the size of a force acting on an object to make the object turn more easily

  • Levers can be described as force multipliers

  • To make a lever work better:

    • Increase the size of the force applied

    • Increase the distance of the force from the pivot

A lever used to open a bottle

Lever Bottle Opener, for IGCSE & GCSE Physics revision notes
A bottle opener exerts a large force upwards on the bottle top by applying a smaller force at a greater distance from the pivot
  • A bottle opener uses a lever to amplify the small upward force applied by the person to create a larger upward force on the bottle top

    • The large arrow shows the force required to remove the bottle top at that point

    • The smaller force shows the force required at a greater distance

    • The bottle opener (lever) makes use of moments to act as a force multiplier

  • A crowbar is also a type of lever used to exert a large force on a narrow opening

  • This helps lift heavy objects

    • The small force downwards applied by a person is far away from the pivot

    • This creates a large force upwards on the heavy object, making it easier to lift

A crowbar used to lift a rock

Moment of Crowbar, for IGCSE & GCSE Physics revision notes
A small force applied at a large distance from a pivot can create a large moment

Last updated:

You've read 0 of your 5 free revision notes this week

Sign up now. It’s free!

Join the 100,000+ Students that ❤️ Save My Exams

the (exam) results speak for themselves:

Did this page help you?

Leander Oates

Author: Leander Oates

Expertise: Physics

Leander graduated with First-class honours in Science and Education from Sheffield Hallam University. She won the prestigious Lord Robert Winston Solomon Lipson Prize in recognition of her dedication to science and teaching excellence. After teaching and tutoring both science and maths students, Leander now brings this passion for helping young people reach their potential to her work at SME.

Caroline Carroll

Author: Caroline Carroll

Expertise: Physics Subject Lead

Caroline graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in Chemistry and Molecular Physics. She spent several years working as an Industrial Chemist in the automotive industry before retraining to teach. Caroline has over 12 years of experience teaching GCSE and A-level chemistry and physics. She is passionate about creating high-quality resources to help students achieve their full potential.