What you need:
Only a toothpick!
What you do:
1. Place the toothpick towards the tip of your middle finger at the back and under the first and third fingers.
2. Try to break the toothpick by pressing it down with your first and third fingers.
3 Next, move the toothpick down towards the base of the middle finger and under the first and the third fingers.
4 Once again, press it down with your first and third fingers.
What you find:
It is easier to break the toothpick when you place it towards the base of the middle finger rather than high up.
Why?
The fingers act as a second-class lever similar to a nutcracker. The point of rotation or fulcrum is where the fingers join the hand. When the toothpick is placed furthest from the fulcrum, the force needed to break the toothpick is the greatest. The more the distance between the load and the fulcrum the more is the effort required to overcome it. Thus, by placing the toothpick close to the fulcrum, you require less effort to break the toothpick.
Picture Credit : Google
