Torque is given by force times the [perpendicular] length of the moment arm. For example, force from the plumber's hand multiplied by the length of his pipe wrench.babaliaris said:I was always wondering if you can lift anything (no matter how heavy it is) if you just use a really long pipe.
Or does torque increases in a way like ##e^x## , ##a^x## and after some point it barely increases?
Also if this can be explained mathematically, I would love to see it.
jbriggs444 said:If the wrench is infinitely long, you you cannot rotate it through any finite angle, so you cannot lift anything.
Presumably you would have to apply a force to the far end of the wrench, but then again, it's infinitely long...babaliaris said:I don't understand it...
How far do you want to lift it? And how far are you willing to push the far end?babaliaris said:If we assume that is long enough? For example let's say I want to lift a very heavy rock (100 tons) with just a pipe, if I use a pipe really long (like 1000 km) will it be easy to lift the rock? Or does torque has limits?
jbriggs444 said:How far do you want to lift it? And how far are you willing to push the far end?
jbriggs444 said:And how far are you willing to push the far end?
jbriggs444 said:[To say nothing of the problem of finding a 1000 km rigid pipe that weighs less than 100 tons]
I think you are looking for LEVERAGE, not torque.babaliaris said:If we assume that is long enough? For example let's say I want to lift a very heavy rock (100 tons) with just a pipe, if I use a pipe really long (like 1000 km) will it be easy to lift the rock? Or does torque has limits?
It’s effectively the same thing, as leverage is just the torque around a particular point, namely the fulcrum. And to answer the original and follow up questions:phinds said:I think you are looking for LEVERAGE, not torque.
Nugatory said:It’s effectively the same thing, as leverage is just the torque around a particular point, namely the fulcrum. And to answer the original and follow up questions:
Yes, the torque/leverage is linear in the distance from the center so in principle you can use an arbitrarily small force just by increasing the distance commensurately. That’s what Archimedes was getting at when he said “Give me a place to stand and I can move the earth”. In practice, if you overdo it your lever will bend and break instead of lifting the object - to lift a mountain with your fingertip you would need a completely rigid rod ten billion kilometers long with the pivot one meter from one end and strong enough to support the entire weight of the mountain hanging from that end.
Torque with infinity length refers to the theoretical concept of a lever with an infinitely long arm. This means that the distance between the pivot point and the point where force is applied is infinite, resulting in an infinite amount of torque or rotational force.
No, torque with infinity length is a theoretical concept and cannot be achieved in reality. While it may provide an infinite amount of torque, there are other factors such as weight, gravity, and friction that would prevent it from lifting anything.
Regular torque is the product of force and distance, while torque with infinity length assumes an infinite distance. This means that torque with infinity length is a theoretical concept that cannot be achieved in reality, whereas regular torque is a measurable physical quantity.
Torque with infinity length is a theoretical concept that has no practical application. However, the concept of torque is important in understanding how levers and other machines work, and can be applied in engineering and design to create more efficient and effective systems.
No, torque with infinity length is not related to perpetual motion. Perpetual motion refers to the hypothetical concept of a machine that can operate indefinitely without any external energy input, which is not possible due to the laws of thermodynamics. Torque with infinity length, on the other hand, is simply a theoretical concept that cannot be achieved in reality.