a hammer head of mass 600g produces a force of 360N whe it strikes the head of a nail. explain how it is possible for the haner to drive the nail into a piece of wood, yet a weight of 360N resting on the head of the nail would not.
pressure at the sharpened point is great.
To understand why a hammer can drive a nail into wood while a weight of the same force cannot, we need to consider the concept of pressure.
Pressure is defined as the force exerted per unit area. In this case, the force exerted by the hammer is 360N, and the area over which it is distributed is relatively small, represented by the surface area of the hammer head in contact with the nail. On the other hand, if we were to place a weight of 360N directly onto the nail's head, the contact area would be significantly larger.
When the hammer strikes the nail, the force of 360N is concentrated over a small area, resulting in a high pressure at the point of contact. This high pressure allows the nail to deform the wood fibers and create a pathway, effectively driving the nail deeper into the wood.
In contrast, if a weight of 360N were simply placed on the nail's head, the force would be distributed over a larger area, causing the pressure to be much lower. As a result, the pressure would not be sufficient to deform the wood fibers and drive the nail into the wood.
Therefore, it is not only the force exerted by the hammer but also the concentration of that force over a smaller area that allows it to overcome the resistance of the wood and effectively drive the nail in.