principle of leverage; law of the lever
Refers to the physical principle that a lever amplifies force; used in physics and everyday explanations.
てこの原理を使えば、重い物も小さな力で持ち上げられる。
Using the principle of leverage, even heavy objects can be lifted with a small force.
この道具はてこの原理を応用している。
This tool applies the principle of leverage.
てこ is the lever itself; てこの原理 is the abstract principle behind how a lever works.
杠杆の原理 is a less common synonym using the Chinese-derived term for lever; てこの原理 is the everyday term.
Common mixed kana-kanji spelling; てこ is usually written in kana.
Full kanji spelling; 梃子 is rare and may not be recognized by all readers.
Compound of てこ (lever) + の (possessive particle) + 原理 (principle). The word てこ is of native Japanese origin, while 原理 is a Sino-Japanese word.