Posted by Joel L. Lewis (24.197.38.131) on May 30, 2003 at 07:42:16:
In Reply to: Re: Okay, I can't resist.../ By the way posted by D. on May 29, 2003 at 15:57:21:
If it's just a lever with weights on either end, then yes, it will ballance at any position. But if the weights are hanging from each end, as in the old ballance scales, then no, it will come to rest at level, in theory because the center of gravity is below the center of rotation, and, unless I screwed up royal in testing this, in my experience as well. I'm not saying I deffinitely did NOT screw up testing, but as I understand the facts, those tests are in accord. If I did screw up testing, where is my mistake in reading the theory, and what reason is there for, say, the old ballance scales allways remaining at level when empty? But I'm pretty, uh, fairly confident I didn't screw up this time, or else I'm missing a proverbial elephant in the kitchen...
: I have no problem giving you a hand. Your idea WILL partially work...if as I said the system was miles high, and one of the weights was near orbit. You will get a movement, but an unusable one.
: D.