Water conduit and the balance of forces on a wheel
A steep conduit, and paddles a-n, a-m, a-r shown to do equal work
The page shows in red chalk a water conduit descending a steep gradient and a spoked paddle wheel marked A. An accompanying note works through the forces on the wheel: comparing paddles a-n, a-m and a-r, it reasons how a weight of 100 pounds received translates into a load lifted (100 versus 200), and concludes that each paddle performs an equal amount of work. The heading names a water conduit with a strong drop, though no text was transcribed for that first item.
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Paddles a-n, a-m and a-r perform equal work
If a-n receives 100 pounds from f-n, then a-m, being less than half as far out, lifts 200, and a-r, being like n-a, lifts 100; yet a-r does as much work as a-m, since a-m raises its 200 through less than half the height that a-r raises its 100. Leonardo concludes that each performs an equal operation.
Paddle wheel driven by falling water
A spoked hydraulic wheel is drawn with a central hub labelled A and its paddles marked r, f, m, a, n. The device is the subject of the force comparison written below.
Water conduit with a steep drop
A long inclined conduit descends the sheet from upper left toward the wheel, illustrating the heading's 'water conduit with a strong fall'. No accompanying text was transcribed for this drawing.