Question

What three factors affect the torque created by a force relative to a specific pivot point?

a) Force, distance, and acceleration.
b) Force, angle, and velocity.
c) Force, lever arm, and angle.
d) Mass, velocity, and distance.

Answer 1

The torque created by a force depends on force magnitude, lever arm distance, and the angle of force application. These factors are used in the torque equation τ = rFsin(θ) to calculate the rotational effect of the force around a pivot point.

Step-by-step explanation:

The three factors that affect the torque created by a force relative to a specific pivot point are force magnitude, lever arm (distance from pivot point to the point where the force is applied), and the angle between the force and the lever arm. To quantify the torque, one can use the equation τ = rFsin(θ), where τ represents torque, r is the lever arm, F is the force applied, and θ is the angle between the force vector and the lever arm direction.

If a force is applied at an angle that is not perpendicular to the radius, only the component of the force that is perpendicular to the lever arm contributes to the torque. Therefore, the greater the distance and the larger the angle (up to 90 degrees, where sine θ is maximized), the larger the torque will be for the same amount of force.