Physics
Lever System
Quick fact
With the right lever and fulcrum placement, a person can lift an object weighing several tons—a principle used by Archimedes who said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
Why this is interesting
You’ve used a lever many times today without realizing it—opening a door, using a seesaw, or prying open a paint can. But how does a simple bar and a pivot make you feel like you can lift a car?