Enter the effort force, distance from the effort to the fulcrum, and the distance from the fulcrum to the resistance into the calculator to determine the resistance force.

Resistance Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Resistance Force.

Fr = EF*D1 / D2
  • Where Fr is the resistance force (N)
  • EF is the effort force (N)
  • D1 is the distance from the effort force to the fulcrum
  • D2 is the distance from the fulcrum to the resistance force

To calculate a resistance force, multiply the effort force by the distance from the effort to fulcrum, then divide by the distance from the fulcrum to resistance.

What is a Resistance Force?

Definition:

A resistance force, in the case of the formula above, is the force pushing on the end of a lever with given effort force, such that the moment about the fulcrum/pivot points is equal.

How to Calculate Resistance Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Resistance Force.

First, determine the effort force. For this problem, the effort force is measured to be 50 N.

Next, determine the distance from the effort force to the pivot point. In this case, the distance is 3ft.

Next, determine the distance from the pivot point to the resistance. For this problem, this is measured to be 1ft.

Finally, calculate the resistance force using the formula above:

Fr = EF*D1 / D2

Fr = 50*3/ 1

Fr = 150 N