Counterweight

A mass positioned to balance or offset another load, reducing the force needed to move a structure or keeping it stable.

Torque: The rotational effect of a force, equal to the force multiplied by its perpendicular lever arm. A counterweight balances turning effects by producing torque opposite the load’s torque.
Elevator: A platform or cabin that moves vertically in a shaft to transport people or goods. An elevator counterweight offsets much of the cabin and passenger mass during travel.
Lever: A rigid bar that rotates around a pivot to transmit or multiply force. Many counterweighted structures behave as levers around a hinge or axle.
Ballast: Material added to a vehicle or structure to improve stability, trim, or traction. Ballast stabilizes or adjusts an entire system; a counterweight specifically offsets another load.
Center of mass: The weighted-average position of an object's mass, which moves as if the object's mass were concentrated there. Counterweight placement shifts a structure’s center of mass toward a stable or useful position.
Tower crane: A tall construction crane with a horizontal jib rotating around a vertical mast. Its counter-jib carries ballast that balances the load-bearing jib and suspended load.
Fulcrum: The pivot point about which a lever rotates. The counterweight’s distance from the fulcrum determines its balancing effect.
Damping: The reduction of oscillation or vibration by dissipating mechanical energy. A counterweight changes force balance, whereas damping dissipates motion after it begins.
Pulley: A grooved wheel that guides a rope or cable and changes the direction of an applied force. Pulleys connect counterweights to moving loads while redirecting the supporting cable.
Bascule bridge: A movable bridge whose deck rotates upward around a horizontal hinge. Counterweights help raise and lower the bridge deck with less drive force.

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