What is torque?

Torque: τ = F × r. Torque is the turning effect of a force: how hard you push times how far from the pivot you push. The same push twists twice as hard twice as far out, which is why spanners are long and door handles sit far from the hinges.

Read how it works: What is torque? · The history of torque · More boxes on Glassbox

Chapters in this interactive model

1. Torque is a turning force: Undo a stuck nut and open a door, and see why the distance matters as much as the push.
2. Balancing turning effects: Seesaws, a school moment balance, a toppling cupboard, a tilted bus and a tightrope walker.
3. Machines that turn: Pedals and gears, engines on a test bench, a mixer and a ceiling fan.
4. Torque in your hands: Steering wheels, screwdrivers, nutcrackers, wheel braces and your own forearm.
5. Spin, wobble and three myths: Torque makes things spin up, gyroscopes that refuse to fall, and what torque is not.