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Do I understand correctly that Archimedes was not familiar with the concept of work and hence attributed mechanical advantage to a lever's ability to create force rather than understanding that the long arm of a lever might help you lift a heavy stone, but this was at the expense of the long arm having to move a longer distance than the shorter arm? (like in the attached image)

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  • $\begingroup$ This can be quite well understood from what we now call torque. The concepts of work and energy did not appear until the second half of the second millenia. $\endgroup$
    – Mauricio
    Apr 13 at 12:34

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