What is true about the forces acting on a lever at equilibrium?

When a lever is in equilibrium, it means that it is not experiencing any net force or net torque, and this condition can be understood through the principles of balance of forces. The correct statement asserts that the sum of the forces acting on one side of the lever equals the sum of the forces on the other side. This is a fundamental principle derived from Newton's first law, which states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by a net external force.

In a balanced lever system, if the forces on either side were unequal, the lever would rotate around its pivot point. For equilibrium to occur, every force on one side needs to be countered by an equal force on the opposite side. This ensures that all upward forces are balanced by downward forces, maintaining stability and preventing motion.

The other statements do not hold true in the context of equilibrium. It's possible to have a lever in equilibrium without having weights on each side; rather, the crucial factor is that the total force exerted by the weights must balance out. Similarly, while one side does not need to have a greater force, a lever can also be at equilibrium while in motion, such as when it moves with constant velocity, making rest unnecessary for the