3A'i

THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE.
O and the power P, whureiii it is to be remarked tliiit the weight and the power att in
contrary directions.
Fig. .029. Fig. 5?0.
Fig. 526. Fi-. J27.
F. .52S.
III. That represented in
Jig.
528.,
wherein tlie power P is placed between the weight
and the fulcrum, in which case the power and the weight act in contrary directions.
I'ifil. in considering the fulcrum of t ese three sorts of levers, we must notice, as a
third species of power introduced for creating an equilibrium between the others, I st
That in which the directions of the
weight and of the powers concur
in the point R
(fff.
529.). 2d,
That in which they are parallel.
1 2fi2. In the first case, if from
the point R (fi/s. 529. and 530.)
we draw parallel to these directions
O/n Hn, the ratio of these three
forces, that is, the power, the weight,
and the fulcrum, will be as the three
sides of the triangle 0iR, or its
equal 0 R ; thus we shall have P
: Q,
: R::;R : R : OR; and as
the sides of a triangle are as the
sines of their opposite angles, by
taking OR as the radius we shall have
P : Q,::sin. ORw : sin. OR?n.
And if from the point O two perpendiculars be let fall,
OdOf,
on the directions RQ, RP,
Sin. ORm : sin. ORmy.Od
:
Of;
from which two proportions we obtain
P
: a-.-.Od:
Of;
whence P x 0/=
Q,
x Od.
This last expression gives equal products, which are called the momenta, moments, or quan-
tities of motion of the force in respect of the fulcrum O. This property is the same for the
straight as for the angular levers
{figs.
529. and
530.). As this proportion exists, however
large the angles mllO and ORh of the directions RQ, RP in respect to RO, it follows that
when it becomes nothing, these directions become parallel without the pro])ortion being
changed
;
whence is derived the following general theorem, found in all works on mechanics :
// two forces
applif-d to a straight or angular lever are in ecjuilibrio, they are in an inverse
ratio to the perpendiculars let fall from
the fulcrum on their lines
of
direction : or in other words,
hi order that two forces applied to a straight or angular lever may be in equilibrio, their momenta
in respect
of
the fulcrum must be equal.
1 263. Since, in order to place the lever in equilibrio, it is sufficient to obtain equal mo-
menta, it follows that if we could go on increasing or diminishing the force, we might place
it at any distance we please from the fulcrum, or load it without destroying the equilibrium.
This results from the formula P x 0/= Q
x Od,
whence we have
Of=^^

. Hence the distance

Of
is easily found, to which by applying the known force
P, it may counterpoise the weight
Q,
applied at the
distance Od. In respect of the other points, we have
only to know the perpendiculars Oyand Od, for Oa and
Oh, which are the arms of the real levers, are deduced
from the triangles
Ofb,
Oda, to which they belong.
1264. Suppose two levers (^<7S. 531, 532.), whereof
Pl(;.53.