Force and motion
Force and Motion
Friction and the Lever Arm: Wing nut tight
Sometimes students want to keep the lever arm from moving, so they tighten the wing nut so the lever arm can’t move. The object in this experiment is exactly the opposite. We want the lever arm to move as easily as possible. We want the lever arm to move when just one paper clip is added.
Encourage students to regularly tap the lever arm to make sure it is moving as freely as possible. If it does not move, loosen the wing nut.