A Course of Mechanical, Magnetical, Optical, Hydrostatical and Pneumatical Experiments / perform'd by Francis Hauksbee, and the Explanatory Lectures read by William Whiston, M.A.

by William Whiston; Francis Hauksbee

Fig. 7. Is the third Sort of Lever, where the Resistance to be overcome, or Weight to be moved, w 2 is at one End, the Prop at the other, and the Power or Weight w 3 between them. A Ladder lifted up by the Middle, in order to be rear'd, where one End is fixed, is of this Sort. Only the Force being in this Case nearer the Prop than the Resistance to be overcome, or Weight to be moved, this Sort of Lever diminishes Force instead of increasing it, and is therefore of little Use.

Fig. 8. Is a common Lever of the first Sort, with its Prop and equal Divisions, fit to be used as the Stiliard.

Fig. 9. Is a compound Lever of the first Sort, as long as the single one just above it, where a Weight at G, by being doubled three several Times, will raise eight Times its own Weight at A, as well as the other does it at once. This last is therefore of the same Force as the former, and no more; and by being compounded, is less considerable than the other.

N. B. Had the Proportion in the Compound Lever, Fig. 9. been otherwise, as suppose the Part B C on one Side of the Prop B three Times the Length of A B on the other Side, and the same in the other two Levers C E and E G; then the Weight G being but the 27th Part of the Weight at A, will be in Æquilibrio with it.

Fig. 10. Is a bended Lever of the first Sort, where C the Prop is at an Angle, and the Force is increas'd with C H, the Distance of the Weight w 1, which by the means of the Pulley P, is applied to the longer Part of the Lever; and in this Lever, the Power is to the Resistance reciprocally as their Distances. An Hammer drawing out a Nail is such a bended Lever.

Fig. 11, 12. Shew that Levers or Balances that are even when horizontal, may be uneven in other Positions; that is, too light when the Center of Gravity of one Weight is fix'd to the Lever or Balance above, and it is elevated; or below, and depress'd: Because the Perpendicular cuts the horizontal Line too near the Center in these Cases.

MECHANICKS. 3

An Explication of the Third Plate.

Figure 1. Is a Sort of Compound Lever of the second Kind, where the Weight H 6 is unequally born by the Weights F 4 and G 2, which are reciprocally proportional to the Distances C B and C A; and are accordingly in Æquilibrio. Whence we see how two Men may bear unequal Parts of the same Weight, in Proportion to their Nearness thereto.