When the lever is in equilibrium, a force of 300 N acts on its smaller arm, and a force of 15 N

When the lever is in equilibrium, a force of 300 N acts on its smaller arm, and a force of 15 N acts on the larger arm. The length of the smaller arm is 5 cm. Determine the length of the larger arm.

Initial data: F1 (force that acts on the smaller shoulder) = 300 N; F2 (force that acts on the larger shoulder) = 15 N; l1 (length of the smaller arm) = 5 cm

The length of the larger lever arm can be determined from the equality (the rule of the balance of the lever): F1 / F2 = l2 / l1, whence l2 = l1 * F1 / F2.

Let’s do the calculation:

l2 = 5 * 300/15 = 100 cm or 1 m.

Answer: The length of the larger arm is 1 meter.