Edexcel GCSE Physics Your notes

Moments
Contents
Moments
The Principle of Moments
Levers & Gears

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 1
Moments
Your notes

Forces & Rotation

As well as causing objects to speed up, slow down, change direction and deform, forces
can also cause objects to rotate
A system of forces can also do this
An example of a rotation caused by a force is on one side of a pivot (a fixed point that the
object can rotate around)
This rotation can be clockwise or anticlockwise

The force will cause the object to rotate clockwise about the pivot
More examples of rotation caused by a force are:
A child on a see-saw
Turning the handle of a spanner
A door opening and closing
If two forces act on an object without passing through the same point, then the object
can still rotate
If the forces are equal and opposite, this is known as a couple

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 2
 Your notes

The above forces are balanced, but will still cause the object to rotate clockwise as they
don’t act through a common point

The Moment of a Force

A moment is defined as:
The turning effect of a force about a pivot
The size of a moment is defined by the equation:
M=F×d
Where:
M = moment in newton metres (Nm)
F = force in newtons (N)
d = perpendicular distance of the force to the pivot in metres (m)

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 3
 Your notes

The moment depends on the force and perpendicular distance to the pivot
This is why, for example, the door handle is placed on the opposite side to the hinge
This means for a given force, the perpendicular distance from the pivot (the hinge) is
larger
This creates a larger moment (turning effect) to make it easier to open the door
Opening a door with a handle close to the pivot would be much harder, and would
require a lot more force

Examiner Tips and Tricks

The units of a moment is Newton metres (N m), but can also be Newton centimetres (N
cm) ie. where the distance is measured in cm instead If the exam question doesn't ask
for a specific unit, always convert the distance into metres

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 4
The Principle of Moments
Your notes

The Principle of Moments

The principle of moments states that:
If an object is balanced, the total clockwise moment about a pivot equals the total
anticlockwise moment about that pivot
Remember that the moment = force × distance from a pivot
The forces should be perpendicular to the distance from the pivot
For example, on a horizontal beam, the forces which will cause a moment are those
directed upwards or downwards

Moments on a balanced beam

In the above diagram:
Force F2 is supplying a clockwise moment;
Forces F1 and F3 are supplying anticlockwise moments
Due to the principle of moments, if the beam is balanced
Total clockwise moments = Total anticlockwise moments
Hence:
F 2 × d 2 = ( F 1 × d 1 ) + ( F 3 × d 3)

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 5
Worked Example Your notes
A parent and child are at opposite ends of a playground see-saw. The parent weighs
690 N and the child weighs 140 N. The adult sits 0.3 m from the pivot. Calculate the
distance the child must sit from the pivot for the see-saw to be balanced.

Answer:
Step 1: List the know quantities
Clockwise force (child), Fchild = 140 N
Anticlockwise force (adult), Fadult = 690 N
Distance of adult from the pivot, dadult = 0.3 m
Step 2: Write down the relevant equation
Moment = force × distance from pivot
For the see-saw to balance, the principle of moments states that
Total clockwise moments = Total anticlockwise moments
Step 3: Calculate the total clockwise moments
The clockwise moment is from the child
Momentchild = Fchild × dchild = 140 × dchild
Step 4: Calculate the total anticlockwise moments
The anticlockwise moment is from the adult
Momentadult = Fadult × dadult = 690 × 0.3 = 207 Nm
Step 5: Substitute into the principle of moments equation
140 × dchild = 207
Step 6: Rearrange for the distance of the child from the pivot
dchild = 207 ÷ 140 = 1.48 m

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 6
 Your notes
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Make sure that all the distances are in the same units and you’re considering the
correct forces as clockwise or anticlockwise, as seen in the diagram below

Clockwise is defined as the direction the hands of a clock move (and anticlockwise as
the opposite)

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 7
 Levers & Gears
Your notes

Levers & Gears

Both simple lever and gear systems can be used to transmit and amplify the rotational
effects of forces
This can be achieved using the concept of moments

Levers
Levers increase the size of a force acting on an object to make the object turn more
easily
The force applied to a lever must act further from the pivot than the force has to
overcome
To make a lever work better:
Increase the size of the force applied
Increase the distance of the force from the pivot
An example of a lever is a bottle opener

Using a bottle opener to create a large force upwards on the bottle top
A bottle opener uses a lever to amplify the small force upwards applied by the person to
create a large force upwards on the bottle top to remove it
The line of action of the small force is much further from the pivot than the large
force that is needed at the edge of the cap to remove it
The bottle opener (lever) makes use of moments to act as a force multiplier
A crowbar is also a type of lever used to exert a large force to a narrow opening. This
helps lift heavy objects
The small force downwards applied by a person is far away from the pivot

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 8
 This creates a large force upwards on the heavy object, making it easier to lift

Your notes

A small force applied at a large distance from a pivot can create a large moment
Gears
Gears, similar to levers, multiply the effect of a turning force using moments
They consist of wheels with toothed edges that rotate on an axle or shaft, which acts as
the pivot
The teeth of one gear fit into the teeth of another gear
This lets one gear turn the other, meaning one axle or shaft can be used to turn
another shaft
As one gear turns, the other must also turn
Where the gears meet, the teeth will then move in the same direction (e.g.
downwards)
One of the gears will then move clockwise, and the other anticlockwise (in opposite
directions)
Although the force will be the same on both gears, the moment will not be. This depends
on the size of the gear, which changes the distance of the teeth to the pivot (axle)
If a larger gear is driven by a smaller gear, the large gear will rotate slower than the
smaller gear but will have a greater moment. For example, a low gear on a bike or car
If a smaller gear is driven by a larger gear, the smaller gear will rotate quicker than the
larger gear but will have a smaller moment. For example, a high gear on a bike or cart
This is because the turning force on the larger gear wheel acts further from its pivot than
the turning force of the smaller gear wheel acting on its own pivot

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 9
 Your notes

Two gears will rotate in opposite directions. A larger gear will have a larger moment

© 2026 Save My Exams, Ltd. Get more and ace your exams at [Link] 10