alleryStart learning →What is the lever arm, in the definition of torque?
AThe angular velocity produced by force
BThe force applied to spin the object
CThe pivot-to-force distance vector
DThe mass of the object being turned
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The pivot-to-force distance vector
1. Torque depends on where along the object a force is applied, not just how strong it is.
2. That distance, measured from the pivot point to the point of application, is the lever arm.
3. A longer lever arm at the same force and angle produces a larger torque.
_Source: OpenStax Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Circular and Rotational Motion", section 6.3 Rotational Motion_
Keep practising Circular and Rotational Motion
Browse all Circular and Rotational Motion questions for NCEA Level 3, or explore more Physics topics.
Related questions
A fan is switched on and undergoes an angular acceleration of 150 rad/s^2 from rest. How lAn object's angular acceleration is 36 rad/s^2 and it starts at an angular velocity of 6.0An object's angular velocity changes from 3 rad/s clockwise to 8 rad/s clockwise over 5 s.A person applies a 12 N force 1.0 m from a pivot point, perpendicular to the lever arm. HoFor a given force, how should it be applied to a lever arm to maximize the torque producedWhat is torque, in physical terms?By the convention used for angular acceleration's sign, which direction of rotation countsHow is angular acceleration defined?