What would happen if the distance from the fulcrum to the effort is minimized?

Minimizing the distance from the fulcrum to the effort in a lever system significantly increases the force required to lift the load. This is due to the mechanical advantage provided by levers, which is determined by the relative distances of the effort and load from the fulcrum. When the effort arm (the distance from the fulcrum to where the effort is applied) is reduced, the amount of force needed to overcome the load increases because the lever has less leverage.

In levers, maximizing the distance from the fulcrum to the point where force is applied allows you to move a heavier load with less effort. Therefore, when this distance is minimized, it counteracts that principle, necessitating more effort to lift the same load, leading to a higher required force.