Levers (Oxford AQA IGCSE Physics)

Revision Note

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

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