Torque Seesaw: Balance the Beam
A beam sits on a pivot, and mystery weights keep appearing. Place counterweights at the right distances to level the beam — too much torque on either side and it tips.
Place weights on the right side to balance the beam.
How to play
A weight appears on one side of the pivot at a marked distance.
Pick a counterweight (1 kg, 2 kg, or 5 kg) from the tray.
Choose where to place it on the other side by clicking a marked slot.
Press Check balance. If torques match, the beam levels.
Clear 6 beams to win. Wrong placements cost you a strike — 3 strikes ends the game.
Scoring
Each balanced beam scores 100 points. Balancing on the first try earns a 50-point precision bonus. Three strikes and the game ends.
Levels
Playground
Whole-kilogram weights at whole-meter marks. Build intuition for torque.
Workshop
Decimal distances and heavier mystery weights. Time to compute τ = r × F.
Engineer
Two mystery weights at once, one on each side. Plan both placements before checking.
What physics did you just use?
You just balanced torques: τ = r·F, where r is the distance from the pivot. A small weight far from the pivot balances a heavy weight close in — that is why a child can lift an adult on a seesaw by sitting at the far end. The same principle sizes wrenches, designs cranes, and explains why door handles sit far from hinges.
Key concepts
- Torque τ = rF
- Rotational equilibrium
- Lever arm
- Newton's second law for rotation