Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Review Guide

A second-class lever is designed in a way that the load is positioned between the effort and the fulcrum. This configuration creates a mechanical advantage, allowing the user to lift heavier loads with less effort. The key aspect of a second-class lever is that the effort arm distance (the distance from the fulcrum to the point where the effort is applied) is greater than the load arm distance (the distance from the fulcrum to where the load is placed). As a result, even though the load is positioned closer to the fulcrum, the longer effort arm amplifies the force applied, enabling one to lift or move heavier loads than would otherwise be possible.

In practical terms, this means that someone using a second-class lever, such as a wheelbarrow, only needs to exert a fraction of the weight of the load to lift it off the ground. This principle of leveraging distance is what gives the second-class lever its advantage in carrying heavy loads efficiently.