Arch thrust, a moving body and its mover, with sums
Mechanics maxims on weight and motion beside a column of arithmetic and small figures
A sparse sheet mixing short mechanical maxims with calculation. Beside a sketched arch Leonardo writes that every heavy body drives its force down to the base of its support, and in the lower corner that no moving body in its simple motion is more powerful than its mover. A column of arithmetic with halves and thirds fills the lower right, while faint pen figures at the top and right show a square inscribed in a circle and a row of wedge-shaped circle segments; further untranscribed jottings and a small trestle-like drawing remain faint on the leaf.
On this page
An arch and the thrust of heavy bodies
Beside a low sketched arch marked 41-8 Leonardo states the statical principle that every heavy body drives its power down to the base of its support. It is a compact rule about how load in a vaulted structure is carried to its footing.
No moving body stronger than its mover
In the lower right corner Leonardo notes that no moving body, in its simple motion, is more powerful than its mover. The maxim asserts that motion cannot exceed the force that causes it.
Column of sums with halves
A block of arithmetic runs across the lower part of the sheet, working with values such as 2, 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 that repeatedly add to 4. Connectives "and" and "makes" tie the small additions together.
Square in circle and wedge-shaped segments
At the top a square is drawn inscribed in a circle, with a plain circle beside it. To the right a diagonal row of circles is cut into wedge and gore shapes, anticipating the lune and portion studies of the following folios.