Question

A person tries to lift a stone by using a lever. If the lever arm is constant and the mass of the stone increases, what is true of the torque necessary to lift it?

a) Torque increases
b) Torque decreases
c) Torque remains the same
d) Torque depends on the lever length

Answer 1

If the mass of a stone increases while using a lever with a constant lever arm, the torque required to lift the stone increases due to the direct relationship between mass and force, which affects torque.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a person tries to lift a stone using a lever and the mass of the stone increases while keeping the lever arm constant, the torque necessary to lift the stone also increases. This is because torque is calculated by the equation torque = force x lever arm length, and the force is derived from the mass of the stone and acceleration due to gravity.

Since the lever arm length remains constant, an increase in the stone's mass results in a direct increase in the force applied, hence increasing the torque required to lift the stone.