Powerless Effort Versus Effortless Power A lever is a simple machine that makes work easier. It’s made up of a rigid beam that rests on top of a fulcrum. The longer the distance between the fulcrum and the spot on the beam where force is exerted, the less force is required to move a heavy object or lift a heavy load. The lever, in other words, multiplies the impact of the effort we put in. Whenever you have played on a seesaw, used a bottle opener or crowbar, or rowed a boat, you were using a lever. Archimedes, the Greek mathematician and mechanical engineer, is considered the first to have
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