Lever Lift

What you need:

• Ruler

• Pencil

• Small items like coins, washers, feathers, books

What you do:

1. Take the pencil and lay it vertically on the table.

2. Place the ruler horizontally in the middle of the pencil, so that it rocks like a seesaw.

3. Take one of the small items and put it on one side of the ruler.

4. Place other small items on the other side and watch how the lever moves.

Questions to ask:

1. What happens when you add more items to one side of the ruler?

2. Does it matter where you place the objects on the ruler? Try moving them closer to or farther from the center.

3. Which is easier to lift: one heavy object or several lighter ones?

What's the science?

A lever is a simple machine that helps us lift or move objects more easily. The pencil acts as the fulcrum, the point where the lever pivots, and the ruler is the lever arm.

When you place objects on each side, you're testing balance and force. Heavier objects or objects placed farther from the center create more force which makes that side go down. To balance the ruler, both sides need equal force, not just equal weight.