How a suspended weight divides between two supports
Upside down in red chalk; cord and weight lettered a, b, c, n
Turned upside down and drawn in red chalk, this leaf studies a weight hung from a cord between points lettered a, b, c and n. Leonardo states that the ratio of the segment a b to b c gives the ratio of the load felt at c to that felt at a - his rule for how a hanging weight divides between two supports. The transcription breaks off in mid-sentence, and further writing continues on the sheet.
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The ratio a b : b c sets the loads felt at c and a
For a weight suspended on a cord between the lettered points, the proportion that a b has to b c equals the proportion of the weight felt at c to the weight felt at a. This governs how the load splits between the two attachment points.