We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Materials

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Fulcrum?

By Licia Morrow
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 52,436
Share

A fulcrum, or pivot point, is the area around which a lever turns. A lever is a hard length of material -- or a bar -- used to put out force or maintain weight at one end, while pressure is exerted on its second end. In other words, when force is placed on one end of a bar or handle, which turns on the third point, or fulcrum, force or weight is managed on the second point of the lever.

A good example of a lever and its accompanying pivot point is a child’s see-saw. The ends of the see-saw, where participants sit, would be considered points one and two. The fulcrum is the area in the middle upon which the lever balances. When one participant pushes his or her weight, the pivot point in the center supports the motion of the second point on the lever either raising or lowering.

For the example of the see-saw, a class one lever, the weight is more or less distributed evenly by the pivot point because it is generally placed in the middle of the lever. In other words, the fulcrum is in between the force applied to one end, or input effort, and the resulting force, or output load. However, this is not always the case in lever and fulcrum relationships.

In a second class lever, for example, the input effort’s location is at one end of the bar, the pivot point is located at the other end of the bar, and the output load is between these two forces. A good example of a second class lever is a diving board in which one end of the board springs because the fulcrum is located at one end and the force placed on the lever comes from a human jumping up and down.

In third class levers, the output load is on one end, with the fulcrum on the other, and the input effort or force is at some point between these two. Brooms and baseball bats would be good examples of third class lever in which force is placed in the middle, with output load (sweeping or hitting) occurring on the opposite end of the pivot point.

Levers, and their accompanying fulcrums, are considered to be one of six simple machines. The idea behind this control of force is called leverage, which can be attributed to Newton’s Law of Motion.

Share
About Mechanics is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By hanley79 — On Jun 01, 2011

@Malka - Hmm, good question. I'm leaning toward a no on that question, myself. See, a fulcrum and lever basic machine is that type of machine because it involves a lever and fulcrum. The new styles of seesaw with the springs in the middle don't rely on a fulcrum to let the lever rock back and forth on top of it -- instead of the lever's position moving across the top of the fulcrum, the spring's bending to accommodate the way the lever's ends are moving. So I'd call it a slightly different kind of basic machine -- a lever and spring device instead of a lever and fulcrum. See what I mean?

By Malka — On May 30, 2011

Okay, so a seesaw counts as a level type device with the middle acting as the fulcrum, right? So I'm really curious now...there are new styles of seesaw that feature bendy springs in the middle instead of a hinge or traditional bump for the seesaw to bend up and down over. Do those still count as fulcrums because they're the spot underneath the lever that supports it as it moves?

Share
https://www.aboutmechanics.com/what-is-a-fulcrum.htm
Copy this link
About Mechanics, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

About Mechanics, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.