Luxury mysteries

[Runaway]

What's the address?

[Sir William]

Belv*edere Manor.

[Runaway]

[Runaway]

Members must now explain to me how a simple balance works.

If I put equal weights on either side of a simple balance, why does it level out?

You would think that it would stay where it was.

The horizontal beam on such a balance is intentionally placed below the rotational axis. As long as the weights are in equilibrium the torque is equal on both sides. But as soon as the position changes e.g. tipping the left scale down, the torques differ because only the tangential part of the gravitational force vector in relation to the rotational axis contributes to the torque around it. When tipping down the left scale, torque on the left side gets smaller and torque on the correct side gets bigger, therefore the correct side moves down once more until equilibrium is reached (apart from some swings to account for the temporary impulse energy). This effect gets more pronounced as the distance of the horizontal bar approaches the half len*gth of the bar. (Naturally this effect would not occur if the horizontal bar went exactly through the axis).

[Sir William]

Are you trying to convince me that you know what your're talking about?

[Runaway]

Read it once more and you'll understand it manufactures sense.

[Sir William]

Yes it does manufacture sence.

It's probbly all to do with equilibrium.

[Runaway]

[Prizemaster]

I think Mr RunAway just heard it on one of those Torque shows

[Sir William]

What are you doing?

[Runaway]

Ri­ght now? Getting dressed. Warum?