Levers

Key Terms

Fulcrum - The pivot or fixed point about which the lever moves

Effort - The force of muscular contraction applied to move the lever

Lever - A lever is a rigid structure or bar the moves around of pivot

Load - The weight or resistance of the lever arm and anything that is attached to it

Load Arm - The distance between the load and the fulcrum

Effort Arm - The distance between the effort and the fulcrum

First Class Levers

Sporting Examples - Press up, Bicep curl, Dart Throw

The fulcrum lies in the middle of the lever between the effort and the load which can be at either end.

Any skill that involves Extension at a joint

Second Class Levers

Sporting Example - Plantarflexion and Dorsiflexion

The load lies in the middle of the lever between the effort and the fulcrum

The joint can generate a large amount of force

Second class lever have a high mechanical advantage because the effort arm is longer than the load arm

The have limited range of movement which is quite slow

Third Class Lever

The effort lies in the middle of the lever between the fulcrum and the load

Sporting Example - Bicep Curl, Kicking a ball

Any skill that involves flexion at a joint

Torque = Force x Distance (f x d)