Moment of force

• The turning effect of a body depends on 2 factors: the magnitude of the force applied and the perpendicular distance from the force to the pivot
• Larger the perpendicular distance, less is the force needed to turn the body
• A larger force will produce more turning effect than a smaller one
• A body turns or rotates about the pivoted point called a pivot
• The moment of force is equal to the product of the magnitude of the force and the perpendicular distance of the force from the pivoted point
• Moment of force = Force (N) x Distance (m)