Compound lever Compound lever The compound lever is a simple machine operating on the premise that the resistance from one lever in a system of levers will act as power for the next, and thus the applied force will be amplified from one lever to the next (as long as the mechanical advantage for each lever is greater than one). Almost all scales use some sort of compound lever to work. Other examples include nail clippers and piano keys. A lever arm uses the fulcrum to lift the load using and intensifying an applied force. In practice, conditions may prevent the use
Compound lever an equivalent weight and there is no mechanical advantage. This is not usually the goal of a compound lever system, though in rare situations the geometry may suit a specific purpose. The distances used in calculation of mechanical advantage are measured perpendicular to the force. In the example of a nail clipper on the right (a compound lever made of a class 2 and a class 3 lever), because the effort is applied vertically (that is, not perpendicular to the lever), distances to the respective fulcrums are measured horizontally, instead of along the lever. In this example, W/F is =