Where does a rod or cylinder experience the most torque?

A rod or cylinder experiences the most torque at its outermost edge due to the relationship between torque, force, and distance from the point of rotation. Torque is defined as the product of the force applied and the lever arm, which is the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the axis of rotation.

When force is applied at the outermost edge, the lever arm is at its maximum length, which maximizes the torque produced. This principle is foundational in mechanics and applies to rotating bodies where the distribution of forces plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of applied loads.

To clarify why the other options are less accurate: the midpoint would not maximize the distance from the rotation axis, and while torque can be distributed along the length of the rod or cylinder, it does not experience the maximum value at this point or evenly throughout. The connection point, typically regarded as the axis of rotation, also does not register maximum torque because the lever arm in this situation is effectively zero, leading to no torque produced at that specific location. Thus, the outermost edge is indeed where the maximum torque occurs.