There are three types or classes of levers, according to where the load and effort are located with respect to the fulcrum. Class 1 has the fulcrum placed between the effort and load, Class 2 has the load in-between the effort and the fulcrum, and Class 3 has the effort between the load and the fulcrum.

There are three types of lever.

• First class lever – the fulcrum is in the middle of the effort and the load.
• Second class lever – the load is in the middle between the fulcrum and the effort.
• Third class lever – the effort is in the middle between the fulcrum and the load.

In a first class lever, the fulcrum is located between the input force and output force. In a second class lever, the output force is between the fulcrum and the input force.

When you use a spoon to prise a lid from a tin you are using a simple machine called a lever. By having the fulcrum (the rim of the tin) close to the lid (the load) a larger force can be applied to the load to open the tin. By this means you are reducing the effort required, this is what first class levers do best.

it’s the part that you push or pull on. The “fulcrum” is the point on which the lever turns or balances. In the case of a fork, the fulcrum is the fingers of your hand. Scissors are really two levers put together.

third-class

A stapler is an example of a second class lever. Force applied to the open end of the stapler closes the stapler at its hinge and drives the load, the staples, through the paper.

As a lever, wheelbarrows lift heavy loads while minimizing the effort required. Levers consist of resistance arms, effort arms and a fulcrum. In class 2 levers, like the wheelbarrow, the resistance arm is in the middle between the fulcrum and the effort arm.

In the first class lever, the fulcrum is located between the effort and the resistance. As mentioned earlier, the seesaw is a good example of a lever, and it happens to be a first class lever. The amount of weight and the distance from the fulcrum can be varied to suit the need.