Why is a pizza cutter handle a lever?
I wouldn't consider the handle to be a lever because it isn't acting against anything. i think it is a wheel and axle.
A pizza cutter handle is considered a lever because it meets the definition of a lever in physics. A lever is a simple machine consisting of a rigid bar or rod that pivots, called a fulcrum, and has two arms, called the effort arm and the load arm. In the case of a pizza cutter handle, the fulcrum is the point where the handle is attached to the cutting wheel, while the effort arm is the length of the handle between the fulcrum and where you apply force to cut the pizza. The load arm is the length from the fulcrum to the cutting wheel.
To understand why the pizza cutter handle acts as a lever, consider how you use it. When you grip the handle and apply force to cut the pizza, you are exerting an effort on the handle, which acts as the force input. This force is then transmitted to the cutting wheel through the handle, causing the wheel to roll and cut the pizza.
The principle behind a lever is that it amplifies the force or changes the direction of the force. In the case of a pizza cutter handle, the length of the handle acts as a mechanical advantage, allowing you to exert a greater force on the cutting wheel than if you were to push directly on the wheel itself. The longer the handle, the greater the leverage, and the easier it is to cut through the pizza.
So, to summarize, a pizza cutter handle is considered a lever because it follows the fundamental principle of a lever - a rigid bar pivoting around a fulcrum, with an effort arm and a load arm - to amplify force and make it easier to cut through the pizza.