Which of the following is an example of a third class lever?

Prepare for the ASTB Mechanical Comprehension Exam. Focus on understanding technical skills with targeted questions, detailed explanations, and useful hints. Enhance your readiness for success!

A third class lever is defined by the arrangement of the effort, load, and fulcrum. In a third class lever, the effort is applied between the fulcrum and the load, which allows for a greater range of motion and speed of the load movement, rather than a mechanical advantage in terms of force.

Tweezers exemplify a third class lever. When using tweezers, the fulcrum is at the joint where the two arms pivot, the effort is applied by squeezing the arms together, and the load is the object being grasped at the ends of the tweezers. This configuration allows the tips of the tweezers to move quickly and cover more distance when you apply pressure, effectively grasping small items with precision.

In contrast to tweezers, pliers function as a first class lever, where the fulcrum is positioned between the effort and the load. A wheelbarrow is an example of a second class lever, with the load at the wheel (fulcrum) and the effort applied at the handles. Scissors operate as a second class lever as well, where the blades act as the load and the fulcrum is located at the pivot point. This distinction clarifies why twe

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