Moments

Moments

The moment of a force is the turning effect it causes.
The moment can be calculated as \(\text{moment}=\text{force}\times\text{distance}\) or \(M=Fd\) where:
- \(M\) is the moment of the force in Nm
- \(F\) is the force in N
- \(d\) is the perpendicular distance from the line the force acts on to the pivot of the object it is acting on in m
Levers help to improve the moment from a force by allowing it to act far from a pivot. They are used to lift heavy objects that are close to the pivot and so the moment of their weight is small.
Gears will exert contact forces on each other of equal magnitude. The radius of the gear determines the turning effect this force produces.

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