Tiny Levers

Materials Per Group:
12-inch ruler
large marker
tape
post-it pad
Predict-Hypothesis:
What will happen when a pad of paper is placed on one end of a lever?
Procedure:
Tape the marker on the table. Balance the ruler on top of the marker. Rest the ruler on the marker at the 6 inch line.
Place the pad of paper on different spots on the ruler. Push down on the opposite end of the ruler.

Record Results:
Primary-Draw pictures showing what happened in each step.
Intermediate-Draw diagrams of your experiment.
Make an organized chart or graph that shows the results of the experiment.
Make sure journaling is done.
Conclusions:
Share information. Did the results support your prediction?
What does this activity teach you about levers and work.
When was it easier to lift the pad of paper.
Extensions:
Design another experiment to show how levers work.
Design an experiment to lift a book 6 inches.
List any questions they might have. These could be used to develop other experiments.

Go back to the Lever Page