Physics
First class levers
By varying either the position or the masses loaded on the arms of a balance the student can be introduced to the first-class levers and balance principles.
20 min
Levers and balance
lever; moments; equilibrium; balance
What students learn
- Understand the first-class lever type
- Equilibrium position
- Experiment set up
Equipment used
- Cylindrical masses (10, 25 and 50g) — MEC-018, MEC-019, MEC-020
- Double side scale, silk screen printed — MEC-002
- Lever holed rod with pair of threaded cylinders — MEC-036
- Rod with threaded stem M3, diam. 8 mm, length 70 mm — MEC-041
- “S” hooks, length 30 mm — MEC-032
- Multifunction support rod, rounded ends, with holes, length 350 mm — MEC-052
Questions for students
- How can equilibrium be defined?
- What is the fundamental difference between the mass of a body and its weight? What do you think would happen if we performed this experiment on the Moon or on any other planet in the Solar System?
What to expect
Here is an example of conversion from masses to weights; make sure that the students understood the difference between these two physical properties and experienced it when loading the masses onto the balance.
Run this experiment in your classroom
This experiment is part of ATP Volta — a self-contained mobile science lab that turns an ordinary classroom into a working STEM laboratory, with over 200 experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, robotics and engineering. Gali, the AI tutor built into ATP Connect, guides students through each step and answers their questions at the bench.
See the ATP Volta mobile science labTalk to our team