A beam hung by cords at equal angles carries equal loads
Six cords fan up to a support, each bearing an equal share of a six-pound beam
A long beam is suspended from a horizontal support by six cords that fan up at equal angles, each ending in a small hanging weight. Leonardo argues that because the cords meet the beam at angles equal to one another, each carries an equal share of the beam's weight — set here at six pounds — even though the cords are tied at differing heights. Two small marginal sketches sit at the far left, and a line of further untranscribed writing runs along the top edge of the sheet.
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Equal angles give each cord an equal share of the load
Because the cords rise to the beam at angles equal to one another, each cord bears an equal portion of the beam's weight, even when the cords are fastened at different heights. The whole load carried here is six pounds.