Question

Why is it easier to open the lid of a can by using a spoon as shown in the Fig.?

Answer 1

The spoon functions as a lever when we use it to open a can's lid. The effort is the force applied at the opposite end of the spoon; the weight is the lid; and the fulcrum is the edge of the container.

A tiny effort applied over the longer arm results in a significantly greater force on the lid because the effort arm, the portion of the spoon we hold, is much longer than the load arm.

load × load arm equals effort × effort arm

The large load can be overcome with a minimal effort due to the large effort arm. As a result, opening the lid with a spoon becomes simpler.