A famous scientist Archimedes once said, “Give me a fulcrum I will turn the earth.” Does it mean that he really could? Is it even possible? The answer is both, yes and no too. He didn't mean that he was that powerful to turn the earth but instead, he meant that with the help of lever (a rigid bar which can turn or rotate about a fixed point called fulcrum) it can be possible. It may be a shocking matter for you that a lever can turn the earth but it is true. If one can provide a long lever strong enough to withstand the force while turning the earth and a fulcrum then it is certainly possible to turn the earth.

In a lever or any other kind of simple machine, if the effort distance (distance between effort applied point and fulcrum) is greater than load distance (distance between load and fulcrum) then the applied force is maximized.

With the help of lever, force can be multiplied by many times. The ratio of effort distance to load distance can also determine how much less effort can also lift the load of how much great mass. Suppose, you have load distance of 1 meter and effort distance of 2 meter, then the lever can lift the load twice the effort applied. Suppose, load is of 1000 Newton, then you should apply only 500 newton force to lift that load but if and only if there is no other external factors like friction to affect.


In this way, with the increasing ratio, this is clear that if such kind of lever, which can withstand the force while turning the earth, if provided, it is possible to turn the earth in the presence of fulcrum to rotate the lever.

No matter how many great machines are built up in this world at present, the working mechanism by which it multiplies the force is based on the principles of simple machine only. In every automatic machine designed for multiplying force has hence effort distance always greater than load distance. In daily life, you can test it even while eating food. How easily you can lift the spoon full of food also depends upon how you support you spoon and how you apply the force. If your supporting finger is little bit far from the load (arm where food is present) then it will be little bit heavier for you to lift the spoon whereas if your supporting finger is nearer to the load, it will be easy for you to lift the spoon. As the load distance decreases, it will be easy to lift the spoon and vice versa. You can try it once by supporting the spoon once by catching it at the tip and then closer to the load. You can feel the difference.

All of these examples and principles prove that simple machines are too much efficient in their work. Thus, if fulcrum and a lever long and enough strong is provided, we can certainly turn the earth.
Discovered by Madhusudan Duwadi