Lever the power out, and the ratio of output to input force is given by the ratio of the distances from the fulcrum to the points of application of these forces. This is known as the "law of the lever." The mechanical advantage of a lever can be determined by considering the balance of moments or torque, "T", about the fulcrum. where F is the input force to the lever and F is the output force. The distances "a" and "b" are the perpendicular distances between the forces and the fulcrum. Since the moments of torque must be balanced, formula_3 .
Compound lever sudden movement of the key. The earliest remaining writings regarding levers date from the 3rd century BC and were provided by Archimedes. ""Give me a place to stand, and I shall move the earth with a lever"" is a remark attributed to Archimedes, who formally stated the correct mathematical principle of levers (quoted by Pappus of Alexandria). The idea of the compound lever is attributed to the Birmingham inventor John Wyatt in 1743, when he designed a weighing machine that used four compound levers to transfer a load from a weighing platform to a central lever from which the weight