Imagine a rock so heavy you cannot lift it. No problem!
With one clever stick and a little push, even a small child could move it.
That clever stick is called a lever.
Have you ever played on a seesaw? That's a lever too!
🎯 In this Spark you'll learn how levers turn a tiny push into a big lift — and find them all around your home and school.
Tap Next to begin →
Every lever has 3 parts
Tap each part of the seesaw below to find out what it does.
LoadFulcrumEffort
👆 Tap a part of the picture above. A lever needs all three to work.
Found 0 of 3 parts
Push down → the load goes up
A lever is like a seesaw. When you press one end down,
the other end goes up. The fulcrum in the middle is where it turns.
💡
The child is lighter than the rock — but the lever still lifts it. That's the magic we'll uncover next!
A longer arm = easier lift
Here's the secret. The further your hand is from the fulcrum,
the easier the lift becomes. Drag the slider to move your hand and watch the effort change!
Long armEasy push 😄
Slide it all the way left and right — see how the push gets harder or easier!
You decide: which lifts easier?
Two children want to lift the same heavy box. Look at where each one is holding the lever.
Which child has the easier job?
Spot the levers around you
Levers are hiding all over your home and school! Tap each thing that uses a lever to lift, cut, or move.
Found 0 of 3 levers.
🏅
Well done, lever expert!
You now know how a simple stick can lift a giant rock.
🔺
Every lever has a load (the heavy thing), a fulcrum (the turning point) and the effort (your push).
↕️
Push one end down and the other end lifts up, like a seesaw.
📏
The further your hand is from the fulcrum, the easier the lift. That's the lever's superpower!
🔎
Levers are everywhere: scissors, spoons, wheelbarrows, seesaws and more.
🌟 Next time something is too heavy, ask yourself: could a lever help?