Notebook on Mechanics and Natural Philosophy

The further the path original: "andamento"; here referring to the perpendicular distance from the fulcrum to the line of force, also known as the moment arm of the weight-cord is from the center of motion the fulcrum or pivot point of such a balance, the more force that cord has in its balance; and this will be proven by the first [rule] of weights in balances, where it says that that part

The path of the cord is the straight line that goes from the center of motion to the middle of the thickness of such a cord.

The perpendicular cord will be more powerful than any other which is oblique; and it will be as much weaker as it is more oblique, which will be proven by the line of equality of weights in the arms of the balance.

Why the weight m hangs more by the cord f d than by the cord a d: it says that the weight m is pulled upward by the cord d a and by the cord f d; and because the motion or path m d f is shorter meaning more direct or less angled than the motion m d a, that cord f d will be more powerful than m d a Leonardo likely refers to the tension/force exerted by cord d a, and this is proven in the path d f and d a.

The difference of the weight m n from the counterweight o p will be as much as the difference of the path d n from d p. m will be as much less than n as d f is less than d a; and n will be as much greater than m as d a is greater than d f.

Vocabulary used in the original: balance, center of motion, cord, weight, oblique, perpendicular, path (andamento), counterweight, short (brief).