AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT: To show a second-class lever.
MATERIALS: two round toothpicks.
MATERIALS: two round toothpicks.
Изображение
METHOD:
Lay a toothpick across the middle of your middle finger (nearer the nail), and rest your index finger and your ring finger on its ends.
Try to break the toothpick by pressing on it with your index finger and your ring finger.
Move the toothpick to the middle of the finger.
Try to break the toothpick again.
RESULTS: When the toothpick was on the fingertips, breaking it was almost impossible.
WHY? Your fingers acted as a second-class lever, like a pair of nutcrackers. The fulcrum is where the fingers begin. The further the toothpick is from the fulcrum, the more force has to be applied.
Try to break the toothpick by pressing on it with your index finger and your ring finger.
Move the toothpick to the middle of the finger.
Try to break the toothpick again.
RESULTS: When the toothpick was on the fingertips, breaking it was almost impossible.
WHY? Your fingers acted as a second-class lever, like a pair of nutcrackers. The fulcrum is where the fingers begin. The further the toothpick is from the fulcrum, the more force has to be applied.