P3.2.2 Moments Flashcards
What is a moment?
The turning effect of a force.
How do you calculate a moment?
Force x perpendicular distance from pivot.
Describe the moments of an object that is not turning.
The object is balanced.
The clockwise moment is equal to the anticlockwise moment.
What is a lever?
A simple machine that makes work easier to do by reducing the force required to carry out simple tasks.
How does a lever act as a ‘force multiplier’?
A lever relies on the principle of moments by increasing the distance from the pivot to allow a smaller force to have a much greater effect.
What is the line of action of the weight of an object?
When weight pulls from an object’s centre of mass in a vertical direction toward the Earth.
What happens when the line of action of the weight of an object lies outside the base of the object
Weight continues to pull from the centre of mass in down towards earth and therefore creates a resultant moment, causing the object to topple.
