Rods hung by cords: the cord nearer the centre bears more
A stack of loaded-beam diagrams with fractional labels, and a plain rod below
The leaf is filled with a stack of horizontal beams, each hung by several vertical cords and annotated with fractions that apportion the sustained weight among the cords. The rule beneath states that a rod suspended by two cords loads more heavily the cord that lies nearer the centre of its heaviness. A final, plain horizontal rod is drawn without annotation.
On this page
The cord nearer the centre of gravity carries more load
For a rod suspended by two cords, the cord that lies nearer to the centre of the rod's heaviness is loaded with the greater share of the weight. The stacked diagrams work through the resulting fractional divisions cord by cord.
Ladders of fractions dividing the load
Each drawn beam carries a row of fractions set against its cords, apportioning the total weight so that the shares sum correctly across the bar. Successive beams refine the division into finer fractional parts.