CAMBRIDGE SECONDARY 1

YEAR 9 SCIENCE

Chapter 15
Turning on a Pivot
MR. TAN WAI SHAN
MHSc Biomedical Science (UKM), BSc Microbiology (USM)
Tel: 0179181063 | Email: ventustan93@gmail.com
Moment of a Force
• The moment of a force is the turning effect that it has.
• It is measured in newton metres (Nm).
• The ability of a force to make an object turn depends on TWO factors:
• the size of the force that acts at right-angles to a line through the
turning point of the object you wish to turn
• the perpendicular distance the force is applied from the turning point.
• This explains why less force is needed to open a door by pushing at the side
furthest from the hinge than at the side closest to the hinge.
• To push at the hinge side of the door requires more force to be exerted
because the distance is smaller.
• A moment can be calculated using this equation:

M = F × d

• where:
M= the moment of the force in newton-metres, Nm
F= the force in newtons, N
d= the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the
pivot in metres, m
Balancing Moment
• Where an object is not turning around a pivot, the total clockwise
moment must be exactly balanced by the total anti-clockwise moment.
• We say that the opposing moments are balanced: sum of the clockwise
moments = sum of the anti-clockwise moments.
Levers
• A lever is a simple machine that makes work easier to do.
• Examples of simple levers include cutting with scissors, or lifting the lid on a
tin of paint with a screwdriver.
• Levers reduce the force needed to perform these tasks.
• When someone uses a lever, they exert a force (the effort) around a pivot to
move an object (the load).
• Lever change the direction in which
a force acts.
• Levers rely on the principle
of moments to act as ‘force
multipliers’ - they reduce the effort
needed to move the load by
increasing the distance over which
it is acting.
• This means a relatively small effort
force has a much greater effect.
Classes of Levers
• First-class levers have the fulcrum placed
between the load and the effort, as in the
seesaw, crowbar, and balance scale.
• If the two arms of the lever are of equal
length, as with the balance scale, the effort
must be equal to the load.
• If the effort arm is longer than the load
arm, as in the crowbar, the effort travels
farther than the load and is less than the
load.
• Second-class levers have the load
between the effort and the fulcrum.
• A wheelbarrow is a second-class lever.
• The wheel’s axle is the fulcrum, the
handles take the effort, and the load is
placed between them.
• The effort always travels a greater
distance and is less than the load.
• Third-class levers have the effort placed
between the load and the fulcrum.
• The effort always travels a shorter distance
and must be greater than the load.
• A hammer acts as a third-class lever when it
is used to drive in a nail: the fulcrum is the
wrist, the effort is applied through the hand,
and the load is the resistance of the wood.
• Another example of a third-class lever is the
human forearm: the fulcrum is the elbow,
the effort is applied by the biceps muscle,
and the load is in the hand.
Questions
1. What is the moment of a 100N force acting on a crowbar
i. 2m from the fulcrum
ii. 3m from the fulcrum
iii. 0.5m from the fulcrum

2. A 100 N force acting on a lever 2m from the fulcrum balances an

object 0.5m from the fulcrum on the other arm. What is the weight
of the object? What is its mass (in kg)?
Calculate the effort required to lift the object.
Calculate the effort required to lift the object.