Archimedes Blast From The Past

Page
2

Engraving from Mechanics Magazine London, 1824

Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth

Slide 15

The Law of the Lever

w2

w1

d1

d2

fulcrum

w1 x d1 = w2 x d2

Slide 16

w1 x d1 = w2 x d2

w1 x d1 = w2 x d2

w1 x 5 = 400 x 5

w1 = 400

w1 x 8 = 400 x 2

w1 = 100

Slide 17

Lever Problems

Now it is your turn

How long would the lever need to be so that you can lift a 20 ton dinosaur? Place the dinosaur 10 feet from the fulcrum and pretend you weigh 100 pounds.

How long would the lever need to be so that you can lift a team of 10 football players (weighing 200 pounds each)? Use the same set-up as above.

How long would the lever need to be so that you can lift a lifetime supply of candy bars? Estimate that you can eat 2 pounds of candy each week for 70 years. Use the same set-up as above.

Slide 18

The death of Archimedes depicted on a Roman floor mosaic