Lever

Lever: A lever is a simple machine. A lever is a board or bar that rests on a turning point. This turning point is called the fulcrum. An object that a lever moves is called the load. The closer the object is to the fulcrum, the easier it is to move.

Here is an example of a lever being used to move a rock. The rock is the load. The place that the board rests on is called the fulcrum. Using this lever makes the work of moving the rock a lot easier.

Did you know that you have probably used a lever out on recess? These girls are using this simple machine to have fun on the playground. They are using the seesaw to make the work of lifting eachother easier.

Examples of Levers:

A hammer is a lever when it is used to pull a nail out of a piece of wood.
Bottle openers
Crow bars

Try this experiment!

Materials:
    wooden ruler, textbook, and a desktop
Procedure:
    Lay a ruler on your desk with part of it hanging over the edge. Place a textbook on the other end. Try to lift the book by pressing down on the part of the ruler that is sticking out. Repeat this procedure several times. Move the book closer to the edge by pulling on the ruler. Continue until the book is right at the table's edge.
Things to think about during the experiment:
-What simple machine was used in this experiment?
-Was it easier to lift the book with a short or long ruler?
-Can you think of a time when you use a simple machine like this?
Conclusion:
The ruler is a lever in this experiment. The edge of the table is the fulcrum. And the book is the load. It is easier to move an object, like the book, when the fulcrum is closer to the load. return

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