Moment

The moment of a force is calculated as:

$\text{moment} = F \times d$

where $F$ is the force (N) and $d$ is the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the line of action of the force (m).

Moments can be clockwise or anticlockwise. For equilibrium, the sum of clockwise moments equals the sum of anticlockwise moments (the principle of moments).

A larger force or a greater distance from the pivot produces a larger moment.