Chapter 35 - Moments, Levers & Centre of Gravity Flashcards
How do you calculate the moment of force
Force x perpendicular distance from the fulcrum to the line of action of the force
Lever
A rigid body that can turn about a fixed point called a fulcrum
What is the law of the lever?
When a lever is balanced the sum of the clockwise moments equals the sum of the anti clockwise moments
Give three every day applications of a lever
- Scissors
- Wheelbarrow
- Door
Moment of force
This tells us how much spin or circular motion a force can cause
Centre of gravity of an object
The centre of gravity of an object is the point in the object through which all the weight of the object appears to act
Equilibrium
When the object is balanced and not moving
What are the three types of equilibrium?
Stable equilibrium
Unstable equilibrium
Neutral equilibrium
Stable equilibrium
The object will return it to the same position if given a slight push
Unstable equilibrium
The object will not return to the same position if given a slight push
Neutral equilibrium
The object will return it to a similar position if given a slight push
How could you improve stability of an object?
To improve the stability of an object use a wide base and lower the centre of gravity
In what circumstance will an object to topple over?
An object will topple over if the weight of the object acting through the centre of gravity passes outside the base of the object
