• Levers help us complete difficult tasks.arm image by Gintautas Velykis from Fotolia.com
  
  Every working lever has three main components. The weight being lifted is called the "load." The force applied to the lever is referred to either as the "effort" or the "force." The pivot around which the lever moves is called the "fulcrum." When effort is applied to a lever, the lever rotates on the fulcrum and lifts the load, according to the Worsley School website. Levers are simple machines that make it possible to complete tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible.
  
  

Fulcrum between Force and Load

• A see-saw is a first-class lever.See-saw image by PhotoDaniels from Fotolia.com
  
  One type of lever places the fulcrum between the force and the load. This kind of lever is often called a first-class lever, according to Worsley School. These levers are also referred to as class one or type one levers. A see-saw is a type of first-class lever. With this type of lever, the force and the load move in opposite directions. Other examples of first-class levers include scissors and pliers, each of which uses two first-class levers, according to the Enchanted Learning website.
  
  

Load between Force and Fulcrum

• A wheelbarrow is a second-class lever.wheelbarrow rock and sand pile image by Sherri Camp from Fotolia.com
  
  When the force is on one end and the fulcrum is on the other, with the load in between, the load will move in the same direction as the force, according to Worsley Schools. This kind of lever is called a second-class lever, type two lever or class two lever. Wheelbarrows and bottle openers are examples of this type of lever, according to Enchanted Learning.
  
  

Effort between Fulcrum and Load

• A fishing rod is an example of a third-class lever.fishing in belize image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  A third-class lever, also called a type three lever or class three lever, puts the effort between the fulcrum and the load, according to Worsley School. With a third-class lever, the force and the load move in the same direction. The human arm is an example of this type of lever, according to the Worsley School website. Your elbow is the fulcrum, the muscle in your forearm supplies the force and an object lifted in your hand is the load. A fishing rod is another example of a third-class lever, according to Enchanted Learning. Tongs and tweezers also use third-class levers.