Name_________________________________Hr_____

Lever Lab
What makes a lever balanced?

Many machines use the lever principle. In general, a lever is a bar which is free to turn about a pivot
called a fulcrum. An effort force turns the lever on its fulcrum so that a resistance force (load) can be
overcome. The twisting force on each side of the lever is called “moment of force”, its unit is mN. The
distance between the point where the effort force is applied, and the fulcrum is called the effort arm
distance. The distance between the point where the resistance force is applied, and the fulcrum is called
the resistance arm distance.

When the lever is balanced:

The resistance arm’s “moment of force” is equal to the effort arm’s “moment of force”.

Fr x Dr = Fe x De
Procedure:

1. Go to the PhET Simulation “Balancing Act” or linked here:

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-act
2. Load the simulation and go to Balance Lab. Check the rulers box. Move the slider to the right.

3. Place your “load” of a 5 kg brick on the left side at 1.25 m.

4. Calculate the weight in Newtons of the block by multiplying the mass in kg by 9.8 m/s 2. Place the
weight into the data table below.
5. Calculate the Resistance’s Moment of Force.
6. Place a 5 kg brick on the right side until the lever is balanced. Record the effort force and the
effort arm distance in the table below.
7. Calculate the Effort’s Moment of Force.

Resistance Resistance Resistance Effort Force Effort Arm Effort

Force Arm Distance Moment of Distance Moment of
(kg x 9.8) Force (kg x 9.8) Force
Fr Dr Fr x Dr Fr Dr Fr x Dr

N 1.25 m N m
1. Remove each of the bricks.
2. Place your “load” of a 20 kg brick on the left side at 0.25 m.
3. Calculate the weight in Newtons of the block by multiplying the mass in kg by 9.8 m/s 2. Place the
weight into the data table below.
4. Calculate the Resistance’s Moment of Force.
5. Place a 5 kg brick on the right side until the lever is balanced. Record the effort force and the
effort arm distance in the table below.
6. Calculate the Effort’s Moment of Force.

Resistance Resistance Resistance Effort Force Effort Arm Effort

Force Arm Distance Moment of Distance Moment of
(kg x 9.8) Force (kg x 9.8) Force
Fr Dr Fr x Dr Fr Dr Fr x Dr

N 0.25 m N m

Questions:

1. Is the lever in the simulation a first, second, or third class lever? Explain how you know.

2. Was the distance for a small weight in part 2 greater than, less than, or equal to the distance
for the large weight? Explain why.

3. When the lever was balanced, how did the moment of force of the effort compare to the
moment of force for the resistance?

4. What unit should be used for the lever arm’s moment of force?

5. Using what you learned, complete the missing information in the following “balanced” lever.

Resistance Resistance Resistance Effort Force Effort Arm Effort

Force Arm Distance Moment of Distance Moment of
(kg x 9.8) Force (kg x 9.8) Force
Fr Dr Fr x Dr Fr Dr Fr x Dr

N 0.15 m 0.6 mN 3 N m 0.6 mN