define "work"..."
Perhaps "energy over time" then. In any case, for this type of system, "work" and "energy" are the same. "Effort" is a lay term for force, which does not account for time or distance.
the pressure/effort for movement is halved.
Yes, the pressure applied (which is the force or effort) is halved, but not the amount of work.
levers make "work" easier, [...] so.. no, it's less work.
No. The work doesn't change. It is the same amount of work/energy. You are reducing force/pressure while increasing time/distance.
As I said in a previous post- you can't magically make something use less energy with gears and pulleys- there is a time element involved. A pulley system can reduce the amount of force, but you have to apply the force for more time/travel.... or in reverse (more force, but in less time/travel). Energy (or work) is conserved (stays the same).
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/pulleys.htmlA simple example would be hauling 10 gallons of water up some stairs. It is less effort to move a 5 gallon container up the stairs than it would be a 10 gallon container- but you would have to make two trips (you double the distance/time). So it is the same amount of work (ignoring that you would have to go back down the stairs again
).
In the example of a clutch lever- you would be using the same amount of calories (a biological unit of energy/work), your muscles would be doing the same amount of "workout"- either less effort for more time, or more effort for less time. Pick your poison