| 1 ruler to use as a lever | 2 pennies |
| 1 hexagonal pencil to use as a fulcrum | 2 stickers |
| 10 weights |
2. Label the other sticker "F" for force and stick it at the other end of the lever.
3. Put the fulcrum in the middle of the lever at the 6" mark.
4. Put a load of one weight at the end of the lever marked "L". Put the load as close as possible to the end of the lever. Be careful that the fulcrum stays in place.
5. Apply a force by putting weights at the "F" end of the lever. Keep them as close as possible to the end and be careful that the fulcrum stays in place. Add enough weights to lift the load. If the load starts to lift, but then drops back, try adding 1 or 2 pennies to the force. The pennies help to make up for the fact that we can't put the weights and fulcrum in exactly the right places.
6. Record the number of weights you need to lift the load. You do not have to record any pennies you used.
| FULCRUM AT | LOAD | FORCE NEEDED |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | |
| 6 | 2 | |
| 6 | 3 | |
7. Repeat this for the different loads shown below.
8. Plot your data below and use this graph to predict how much force is required to lift a load of five weights: ________ Try it: ________