moments, levers and gears

Moment

The turning effect of a force, measured in Newton-meters (Nm)

Equation for calculating the moment of a force

Moment of force = Force x Distance Moment (Nm), Force (N), Distance (m)

What distance measurement is used when calculating a moment?

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

if an object is in equilibrium, what can be said about the moments acting on the object

The clockwise moments equal the anticlockwise moments for an object in equilibrium

three parts make up a lever system

1. Load, 2. Effort, 3. Pivot

How can a lever be used as a force multiplier?

If the distance between the effort and pivot is greater than the distance between the pivot and load, the force applied on the load is greater than the effort force. This is since the moment on both the effort and load must be the same.

give an example of when a lever may be used to multiply a force

A wrench, with a long handle to multiply the force applied by the user

what determines the moment of a gear wheel

The size of the wheel

Describe the moment and speed of a larger gear being driven by a smaller gear.

A larger wheel will rotate more slowly but produce a larger moment when driven by a smaller gear