A hand-operated punch uses a rigid lever pivoted at a hinge. Both the hand position and the punch contact are to the right of the hinge.
At the instant the punch starts to cut, the lever is horizontal and stationary. The operator pushes vertically downwards. The punch exerts a vertical upward force on the lever, producing a moment in the opposite direction. The magnitude of this upward force is equal to the output force applied to the punch. The weight of the lever can be ignored.
The operator can exert a maximum downward force of 110 N. The sheet requires an output force of at least 1.20 kN1.20\ \mathrm{kN}1.20 kN to be punched.
The table shows the perpendicular distances from the hinge to the lines of action of the forces for two settings.
| setting | distance to hand position in m\mathrm{m}m | distance to punch contact in m\mathrm{m}m |
|---|---|---|
| P | 0.52 | 0.040 |
| Q | 0.44 | 0.065 |
Calculate the maximum output force produced in each setting.
Explain which setting should be used to punch the sheet.
102 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 9.2 Moments, covering 9.2.1 Rotational effects of forces and moments, 9.2.2 The principle of moments, and 9.2.3 Levers and gears. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.