Balancing Three Weights with Two Counterweights
Placing a 4-pound and a 2-pound counterweight to offset three loads
Two balance diagrams frame the text: an upper beam with three boxed weights (1, 2, 3) on one arm and loose counterweights (4, 2) at left, and a lower beam repeating the arrangement. Leonardo poses a statics problem: three unequal weights are hung at random places on one arm, and he wishes to balance them from the opposite arm using two counterweights of 4 and 2 pounds, placed separately so as to equal the three loads.
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Counterweighting three random loads with two weights
Three different weights are hung at random positions on one arm of the balance. On the opposite arm two counterweights, one of 4 pounds and one of 2, are to be placed separately so that together they equal the three opposing loads.
Weights and distances that make the arms equal
The task is to find the positions where the two named counterweights (4 and 2 pounds) balance loads of 1, 2 and 3 units. It is a proportional problem of matching weight against distance along the beam.
Two suspended balance beams
Above and below the text are beams hung from central posts. Boxed weights labelled 1, 2 and 3 hang from one arm, with counterweights drawn at the far side, illustrating the balancing problem stated in the text.