What is a lever?
A lever is a simple machine that is used to help lift objects.
Levers are used in everyday life to help us lift, move, squeeze, break and cut objects.
Examples of levers include:
- scissors
- seesaws
- nail clippers
- fishing rods
- and even your arm!
Watch: The Man With The Lever Dream
VOICEOVER: An ordinary house in Yorkshire, with an extraordinary problem.
CAT: Dad, just pick up the biscuit and hand it to me. This is ridicu…
CLIVE: You're welcome.
CAT: He's a great dad.
CLIVE: Precious cargo.
CAT: He just really likes levers.
(crash)
CLIVE: Oh goodness me! The levers are Ok!
CLIVE: Goodness me.
MIRIAM: He found out about levers online. It turns out, if you get a board and put it on a support, you can lift a surprisingly heavy object with very little force. Don't get me wrong, it's interesting. It's just…it's taking over our lives.
Clive, kettles aren't that heavy. Just do it the old fashioned way!
CLIVE: It is the old fashioned way! People have been using levers since 5000 BC! Goodness.
VOICEOVER: The ups and downs of living with a lever fan have taken their toll on Miriam and things have come to a head.
CAT: Dad, just pick up the remote. We've been stuck on the same channel for hours!
MIRIAM: There are some things you just can't lever.
CLIVE: Wrong again! You can lever anything! As the ancient Greek engineer Archimedes once said, "give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world!” Except in a Greek accent.
MIRIAM: Clive, it's just all becoming quite a heavy load to bear.
CLIVE: Well, you know what would help with that, don't you…
MIRIAM: Don't you dare say a lever.
VOICEOVER: Clive finally seems to understand the gravity of the situation and has decided to try life without levers… Because his family threw them all out.
CLIVE: It's been about three days since I made a lever. I've realised there's more to life than finding simple machines that minimise physical effort.
CLIVE: WHAT'S THAT?
WORKMAN: What, this? It's just a basic double pulley winch, which means you use way less effort to lift heavy things.
CAT: Dad please don't!
CLIVE: I wanna get that! GET OUT THE WAY PLEASE! I WANT A DOUBLE PULLEY WINCH!
VOICEOVER: The following day and Clive's had an express delivery.
CLIVE: OH! Ho ho oh! It's even better than I thought. Look at that! Archimedes would have blooming LOVED THIS!
How do levers work?
Levers work by allowing us to use a smaller force to have a greater effect and change motion.
All levers have a long arm and a fulcrum, which is where the arm pivots from.
The load is the object you are lifting and the force you apply to move the load is called the effort.
Sometimes you may need to apply a push force and other times, a pull force depending on the type of lever.
Depending where the pivot is, depends on how much effort you need to move the load.
Horrible Science fact
Levers are a type of simple machine.
Other simple machines include:
- the wheel and axle
- pulley
- inclined plane
- screw and wedge.
You can learn more about simple machines here in the most amazing Mr Simpling's Museum Of Marvellous Machines.
Quiz: Levers
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