A hammer head of mass 600g produces a force of 360N when it strikes the head of a nail. Explain how it is possible for a hammer to drive the nail into a piece of wood, yet a weight of 360N resting on the head of the nail would not
The momentum before the hammer collides with the nail equals the momentum after the collision:
p1 = p2.
M1*V1 + M2*V2 = M1*V + M2*V.
After the collision, the hammer and nail stays together and moves with same velocity(V).
p1 = p2
When a hammer strikes the head of a nail, it exerts a force on the nail that allows it to penetrate the wood. This force is generated through the transfer of energy from the hammer to the nail.
The force exerted by the hammer can be calculated using Newton's second law of motion, which states that force (F) is equal to mass (m) multiplied by acceleration (a). In this case, the mass of the hammer head is 600g (0.6 kg) and the acceleration is unknown. However, we don't need to know the exact value of the acceleration to understand how the hammer drives the nail into the wood.
When the hammer strikes the nail, it accelerates downwards, gaining speed as it falls. As a result of this acceleration, a larger force is applied to the nail upon impact. This force is much greater than the force of gravity acting on the hammer alone (360N), and it is this increased force that enables the nail to be driven into the wood.
In contrast, a weight of 360N simply resting on the head of the nail does not have the same effect. In this scenario, there is no additional force being applied to the nail beyond the force of gravity. The weight is merely exerting a downward force, but it is not generating any extra force upon impact. As a result, the nail would not be driven into the wood.
So, it is the combination of the hammer's initial velocity, the acceleration upon striking the nail, and the resulting force exerted on the nail that allows the hammer to drive it into the wood. Without this combination of factors, a simple weight resting on the nail would not have the same effect.