Archimedes is known as one of the most brilliant mathematicians and scientists of antiquity. The lever principle is considered his discovery. Actually, the lever was known and used centuries before its birth. But he was the first to describe the principle of the lever using mathematical formulas.
The lever is a simple mechanism. It is a rigid bar that can rotate around a fixed point called the fulcrum. Two forces act on the lever: the active force, which moves the lever, and the force force, which is the force to be overcome. The distance from the fulcrum in the direction of one of the forces represents the arm of the force.
There are three types of levers:
* order i lift – This type of lever has the fixed point in the center. A rocking chair is a joystick. One end lifts an object as much as the other end is pushed.
* order increase II – This type of lever has the mechanical load in the center. A wheelbarrow is a lever of order II. The long handles are the lever arms and the fixed point is the front wheel.
* order rise III – this type of lever has the force and mechanical load on the same side of the fulcrum, with the force in between. The stress is always greater than the load (which is a mechanical drawback), which means that you always get less than the applied force. The rod is an order III lever. When you cast the rod, it pivots on the fulcrum, which is your wrist. One end remains stationary, while the other end flies through the air catching the fish (the moving charge).
The lever that Archimedes was talking about when he said that with a lever and a fixed point he could move the earth is a lever of order I.