How does a first class lever make work easier?

First class lever is one of the 3 classes of levers and is the simplest lever. It consists of a fulcrum (the pivot) placed between the effort arm and load (or resistance) arm. It allows us to convert a downward force into an upward force, in other words, a push force into a lift force (think of children's see-saw). We can use first class levers to lift heavy weights by application of smaller effort. That...

First class lever is one of the 3 classes of levers and is the simplest lever. It consists of a fulcrum (the pivot) placed between the effort arm and load (or resistance) arm. It allows us to convert a downward force into an upward force, in other words, a push force into a lift force (think of children's see-saw). We can use first class levers to lift heavy weights by application of smaller effort. That is, small manual force can be used to do the job that requires a large amount of force. Examples of first class levers are hand cart, dolly, scissors, etc. Depending on the location of fulcrum, with respect to load and effort end, the manual effort can be either amplified or reduced. If the fulcrum is farther away from the effort end, the effort gets amplified, allowing us to lift heavier objects. This saves labor and speeds up the work.

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