Question

Place 2N worth of force 0.6m from the fulcrum. Where would you have to place 4N to balance the lever?

a) 0.4m from the fulcrum
b) 0.3m from the fulcrum
c) 0.2m from the fulcrum
d) 0.1m from the fulcrum

Answer 1

To balance the lever with a 2N force at 0.6m, a 4N force must be placed 0.3m from the fulcrum, which corresponds to option b.

Step-by-step explanation:

To balance a lever, the force times the distance (moment) on one side of the fulcrum must equal the force times the distance on the other side. This is based on the principle of moments, which states that for a lever in equilibrium, the clockwise moment must equal the counter-clockwise moment. Since there is a force of 2N applied at a distance of 0.6m from the fulcrum, the moment on that side of the lever is 2N × 0.6m = 1.2Nm.

The force of 4N needs to produce the same moment, so we divide the total moment by the force on the other side (1.2Nm ÷ 4N) to find the required distance from the fulcrum, which is 0.3m. Therefore, to balance the lever, the 4N force must be placed 0.3m away from the fulcrum, which corresponds to option b) 0.3m from the fulcrum.