A balanced lever has two weights on it, the first with mass #3 kg # and the second with mass #4 kg#. If the first weight is # 8 m# from the fulcrum, how far is the second weight from the fulcrum?

1 Answer
Mar 15, 2018

The distance is #=6m#

Explanation:

commons.wikimedia.org

The first mass is #M_1=3kg#

The distance #a=8m#

The second mass is #M_2=4kg#

Taking moments about the fulcrum

#M_2xxb=M_1xxa#

The distance

#b=(M_1xxa)/(M_2)=(3*8)/4=6m#