Moments, Levers + Gears

What is a moment?

The tuning effect of a force around a pivot

What does distance mean in the moment equation?

The perpendicular distance from the pivot to the action of a force.

What happens if the object is balanced?

Total clockwise moments equal the anticlockwise moment

What does a larger distance mean?

The moment is larger making it easier to act on the object.

What is a lever made up of?

A pivot and a load/effort

What is a load/effort?

The force used to move the distance.

What do levers do?

Increase the size of a force acting on an object to make the object turn easier.

How do you make a lever work better?

Increase the size of force applied and increase the distance of the force from the pivot.

What do gears do?

Multiply the effect of a turning force using moments.

What are gears?

Wheels with teethed edges that rotate on an axel or a shaft, which acts as the pivot.

What happens when one gear turns?

The other must turn as the teeth meet so move in the same direction, one of the gears with move clockwise and the other anticlockwise

Will the moment of both gears be the same?

No, it depends on the size of the gear which changes the distance of the teeth to the pivot.

What happens to a larger gear driven by a smaller gear?

The large gear will rotate slower than the smaller gear but will have a greater moment.

What happens to a smaller gear driven by a larger gear?

The smaller gear will rotate quicker than the larger gear but will have a smaller moment.

What causes an object to fall over?

The line of action of the weight force is no longer within the base.