Lever

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lever

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a lever?A lever is a rigid bar that pivots around a fixed point called the fulcrum. It uses torque, the rotational equivalent of force, to move a load.
2. How does a lever make lifting heavy things easier?When you push or pull on one side of the lever, it creates a torque that can overcome the torque of the load on the other side. The lever can multiply the input force, giving you a mechanical advantage.

Torque: The rotational equivalent of force, causing an object to rotate around an axis.
Mechanical Advantage: The factor by which a machine multiplies the input force or increases the speed of movement.
Effort Arm: The perpendicular distance from the fulcrum to the line of action of the effort force.