Rod on eight cords: equal sharing of a weight
A weight of 80 divided equally among eight supporting cords when centred
A single horizontal rod is drawn hung from eight vertical cords, each labelled 10, with a total weight of 80 attached below its centre. Leonardo proves that if the centre of the weight lies in the middle of an equal number of supporting cords, that weight is shared out equally to each cord. He adds that the rod is here imagined as unbending, and that in such cases no account is taken of the weight of the instrument itself, only of the attached load.
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Equal distribution of weight among the cords
When the centre of the weight sits at the middle of an equal number of cords that support it, the weight is shared out equally to every cord. The rod is treated as rigid and weightless, so only the attached load counts.
A total of 80 divided over eight cords of 10
Each of the eight supporting cords is marked 10, the whole load below the centre being 80. Paired numeric labels along the rod tally how the total is apportioned across the equal cords.