Levers (Oxford AQA IGCSE Physics)
Revision Note
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
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
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