For example, If you grip a door handle normally you can open it with ease. But why is it that it’s so much harder if you move your hand closer to the base of the handle?
In: Physics
Torque is the term that describes the force that is applied when you try to rotate something around a single point. For example, when you open a door, you’re rotating the handle around the base, and in order to successfully open that door, you need to apply a certain amount of torque.
Torque is defined as the distance between the base and the point you’re applying force to multiplied by the force you apply. When your hand is closer to the lock, that distance (we’ll call it r) is decreased. Because r is decreased, the amount of force you apply must be increased by the same relative amount.
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