LeversLevel 1 Physical Education

Pakuranga College 2011

Leve

rs

Levers are simple machines

made up of a pivot (fulcrum),

effort, and resistance (load) arm.

Levers help apply force.Longer levers result in greater

speed. Good for throwing &

striking.Shorter levers result in greater

strength. Good for pulling,

pushing and lifting.The most common lever found in

the human body is the 3 rd class lever

Com

pone

nts o

f a

leve

r

Fulcrum – the pivot point around which the movement happens.Load – The weight

that needs to be moved.Effort – The place

where the force is applied. In the body this is the

effort produced by the contracting

muscles.

Leve

rs in

the

hum

an b

ody

Levers are made up of the joints (fulcrum), and the bones that connect them to the objects being moved.

Levers in the human body can be manipulated to improve speed, and

apply large forces at the same time.

First

Cla

ss Le

ver

These levers can help to either increase force or generate more speed depending on the position of the fulcrum.

1st class example: rowing oar

1st class body example:

Seco

nd C

lass

Le

ver These levers allow

more force to be produced because the effort arm, is longer than the resistance arm.

2nd class lever examples: running and press-ups

2nd class body example:

Third

clas

s lev

erThird class levers

generate speed rather than force

3rd c

lass

exa

mpl

es:

hock

ey st

ick a

nd

base

ball b

at

3rd c

lass

exa

mpl

es

cont

.: ka

yakin

g an

d di

ving

boar

d

3rd class body example

How

can

we

rem

embe

r the

se

leve

rs? FLE 123This Statement shows

what element is in the middle: Fulcrum is in the middle

in 1st class levers Load is in the middle in 2nd class levers Effort is in the middle in

3 rd class levers

Prac

tical

Lab

Here's what you'll need:• a 30 cm plastic ruler• 10 objects of varying weights• a pencil/pen• a level desk or

table top

Prac

tical

Lab Create each of the 3

classes of lever using the various pieces of equipment allowed.

1st , 2

nd, 3

rd cl

ass

leve

r exa

mpl

es