Imagine taping a pencil on your tabletop. Let this be the fulcrum. Let a hard 1-foot ruler rest on top of the pencil, with the right on the fulcrum. Place the rectangular paperweight at the 5-inch mark. Lift the weight by pressing your finger on points at the other side of the fulcrum. Where it will take less effort to lift the load-at points closer to or farther away from the fulcrum?

Imagine taping a pencil on your tabletop. Let this be the fulcrum. Let a hard 1-foot ruler rest on top of the pencil, with the right on the fulcrum. Place the rectangular paperweight at the 5-inch mark. Lift the weight by pressing your finger on points at the other side of the fulcrum. Where it will take less effort to lift the load-at points closer to or farther away from the fulcrum?