Forces can cause an object to rotate and the turning effect of the force is called a moment. If a resultant force acts on an object about a fixed turning point called the pivot or fulcrum it will cause the object to rotate e.g. using a spanner, a screwdriver, opening a door hanging on hinges.
Demo
In this tutorial you will learn how to calculate the moment in a real life example.
The equation for this calculation is written like this:
$M = { \text F \; \text x \; \text D}$
Chilled practice question
A 5 N force is applied to a spanner 15 cm from the pivot. Calculate the moment.
Frozen practice question
A screwdriver was used to open a tin of paint with a moment of 1.5 Nm exerted 25 cm from the pivot. What force was being applied ?
Science in context
Forces can cause an object to rotate and the turning effect of the force is called a moment. If a resultant force acts on an object about a fixed turning point called the pivot or fulcrum it will cause the object to rotate e.g. using a spanner, a screwdriver, opening a door hanging on hinges. M = F x d, where M = the moment of a force (Nm), F = force applied (N) and d (m) is the distance from the pivot or fulcrum.
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