Lever Classes

Common levers are divided into three classes: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. In the next few pages we’ll discuss the characteristics of these classes.

Class 1 Lever

The figure shown here illustrates the key components of a Class 1 Lever. This lever is the one we’ve been discussing so far. Here are its main components:

F1: This is the force (effort) we apply at one end of the lever.

F2: The application of force F1 at one end of the lever results in a force (F2) being generated at the other end of the lever. This force is in a direction which is opposite to F1. On the “weight side” (the right side of the lever) a weight may be lifted by application of a force on the other side which is smaller than the weight.

L1: This is the distance between the applied force and the fulcrum. We have deliberately placed F1 a little bit away from the edge of the lever. The edge or the length of the lever does not matter; we consider the point where the force acts.

L2: This is the distance between the point where the weight acts and the fulcrum.