Which of Two Equal Beams Is Easier to Drag?
A dense text page posing a mechanical question about beams set at different inclinations
The sheet is closely covered with Leonardo's notes, of which only one short block is transcribed: beside two small beam diagrams labelled a b c and m n o he asks which of the beams is easier to pull, given that they are of equal shape and weight. Small geometric figures and further studies appear in the upper and left margins. Much of the writing on this leaf remains untranscribed in the bundle.
On this page
Which of two equal beams is easier to drag
Beside two beams marked a b c and m n o, Leonardo asks which is easier to pull when both are of equal shape and weight but lie at different inclinations. The question isolates the effect of slope on the effort of hauling. It is a study in the mechanics of traction and friction.
Geometric figures in the upper margin
A small polygonal figure and other geometric sketches are drawn in the upper-left area of the sheet. They are not transcribed in the bundle but accompany the mechanical note. Their construction is consistent with Leonardo's studies of proportional figures.