The fulcrum is the point on which the beam pivots. When an effort is applied to one end of the lever, a load is applied at the other end of the lever. This will move a mass upward. Levers rely on torque for their operation.

How do levers work?

A lever works by reducing the amount of force needed to move an object or lift a load. A lever does this by increasing the distance through which the force acts. ... You will see that levers neither increase nor decrease the amount of total effort necessary.

Why do fulcrums work?

Law of the lever

The lever is a movable bar that pivots on a fulcrum attached to a fixed point. The lever operates by applying forces at different distances from the fulcrum, or a pivot. As the lever rotates around the fulcrum, points farther from this pivot move faster than points closer to the pivot.