An event at the Dome, November 29th, 2000
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The Death of
Distance: from Pythagoras to Galileo An event at the Dome, November 29th, 2000 |
Mechanisms
A lever
Move the red point (representing effort) to operate
the lever. Compare how far the red point moves up and down with how far the
load (the black point) moves up and down.
Use the sliders at the top to
adjust to these positions:
load: fulcrum:effort (like scissors)
fulcrum:
load: effort (like a hole punch or bottle opener)
fulcrum: effort: load
(like a hammer or pincers)
A simple pulley
Move the red point (representing effort) to operate
the pulley. Compare how far the red point moves up and down with how far the
load (the black point) moves up and down. They are the
same
A pulley and levers
Move the brown point (representing effort) to operate
the levers and pulley. What how the load (the green point) moves. Circular
motion is being changed into linear (straight line)
motion.
Inclided plane
To move a very heavy weight upwards.
Move the red
point (representing effort) which is attached to the load (the black point).
Compare how far the red point moves across with how far the load moves up and
down. Change the angle of the slope and see what happens. When the angle is
shallower the load does not move up so far (so is easier to pull) but will need
effort over a longer time to raise it a required distance. This was therefore a
good method, when building the Pyramids and with lots of labour available, to
raise the huge blocks.