======Wedges======


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**Alternative titles:** Hammering a Nail, The Axe, Dragging Blocks Through Rice
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
The following wedge activities are demonstrated:
  * Hammering a nail
  * The axe
  * Dragging different shaped blocks through rice



====Links==== 
Simple Machines: The Wedge - funsciencedemos: 
{{youtube>No5Df2231YA?}}\\



====Variations====
  * Test wedges made of different materials (metal, wood, plastic).  
  * Compare how a sharp knife and a dull knife perform when cutting.  
  * Use a wedge to lift a heavy object slightly, like sliding a doorstop under a book or block.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Use caution when handling sharp wedges like knives or chisels.  
  * Ensure cutting demonstrations are supervised.  
  * Do not apply excessive force that could cause tools to slip.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does a sharper wedge cut more easily than a blunt wedge? (Because the force is spread over a smaller surface area, increasing pressure.)  
  * How does a wedge change the direction of the applied force? (It converts a forward or downward force into a sideways force.)  
  * In what ways are wedges similar to inclined planes? (They both use sloped surfaces, but the wedge moves through the object, while an inclined plane moves objects upward.)