Simple

Machines

The
Wedge

Crusader
Education

Overview
Crusader
 Educations
 Wedge
 is
 crafted
 from
 du-
rable
 hardwood
 to
 provide
 a
 long-lasting
 piece
 of

laboratory
 equipment
 that
 lets
 students
 explore

the
 basic
 concept
 of
 this
 simple
 machine.

 The

hinged
 boards
 and
 the
 narrow
 wedge
 allow
 stu-
dents
 to
 clearly
 experience
 the
 force
 ampli
 ca-
tion
 that
 this
 simple
 machine
 makes
 possible.
 The

addition
 of
 elastic
 bands
 allows
 for
 quantitative

measurements.

The
 Wedge:
 A
 Simple
 Machine
Most
 simple
 machines
 have
 one
 basic
 goal:
 to
 allow
 you
 to
 per-
form
 a
 task
 using
 less
 force
 than
 you
 would
 otherwise
 need.
 The

wedge
 is
 one
 of
 the
 oldest
 of
 the
 simple
 machines.
 It
 is
 really
 a

stone
 age
 tool
 that
 has
 been
 used
 for
 thousands
 of
 years
 for
 strip-
ping
 bark
 from
 trees
 and
 splitting
 logs.
And
 the
 wedge
 is
 a
 simple
 machine
 that
 you
 see
 very,
 very
 fre-
quently,
 though
 you
 might
 not
 think
 of
 it!
 Our
 of
 ce
 space
 has

wedges
 by
 every
 door,
 that
 we
 use
 to
 hold
 the
 doors
 open!
 The

force
 that
 we
 apply
 to
 the

end
 of
 the
 wedge
 turns

into
 a
 very
 large
 force

between
 the
 wedge
 and

the

 oor
 that
 keeps
 it

from
 sliding.
Of
 course,
 wedges
 are
 also
 used
 the
 way
 they
 always
 have

been:
 to
 split
 wood.
 Of
 all
 of
 the
 simple
 machines,
 the

wedge
 is
 the
 one
 that
 is
 the
 least
 changed
 over
 the
 years

and
 the
 easiest
 to
 recognize!
1

Physics
 Principles
Suppose
 you
 raise
 a
 maul
 (a
 heavy
 wedge
 on
 a
 handle)
 over

your
 head,
 and
 bring
 it
 down
 on
 a
 piece
 of
 wood
 that
 you
 want

to
 split.
 Two
 things
 happen:
1)
 The
 wedge
 turns
 the
 vertical
 motion
 of
 the
 wedge
 into
 a
 hor-
izontal
 force.
 The
 wedge,
 like
 other
 simple
 machines,
 changes

the
 direction
 of
 a
 force.
2)
 The
 wedge
 works
 a
 bit
 like
 a
 ramp,
 or
 an
 inclined
 plane.
 The

wedge
 needs
 to
 move
 a
 long
 way
 in
 order
 to
 split
 the
 wood
 just

a
 small
 amount.
 This
 means
 that
 the
 force
 is
 ampli
 eda
 small

force
 on
 the
 wedge
 turns
 into
 a
 large
 force
 on
 the
 wood.
 You

cant
 split
 a
 log
 with
 your
 bare
 hands,
 but
 the
 wedge
 ampli
 es

the
 force
 so
 that
 the
 force
 of
 your
 body
 is
 all
 that
 is
 needed!

Experiments
Part
 I:
 The
 Basic
 Principle
Force
 Ampli
 cation
Step
 1:
 Put
 several
 rubber
 bands
 on
 the
 outer
 of

the
 two
 sets
 of
 pegs.
 Now,
 lift
 up
 the
 top
 board,

and
 feel
 the
 resistance.
 Now,
 force
 the
 boards

apart
 by
 sliding
 the
 wedge
 between
 them.
 This

is
 easierand
 if
 you
 oil
 the
 wood
 so
 that
 the

wedge
 slides
 more
 easily,
 its
 even
 easier!
 (You

can
 use
 lemon
 oil
 for
 thisthe
 kind
 meant
 for


 nishing
 furniture!)
Ask
 your
 students
 to
 note
 the
 motion.
 The

wedge
 moves
 a
 long
 way
 to
 raise
 the
 top
 board

by
 a
 small
 amount;
 thats
 why
 it
 gives
 as
 much

force
 as
 it
 does.
 A
 small
 force
 over
 a
 long
 dis-
tance
 is
 turned
 into
 a
 large
 force
 over
 a
 small

distance,
 just
 as
 for
 other
 simple
 machines.
 A

skinnier
 wedge
 would
 move
 even
 farther,
 and
 so

would
 provide
 even
 more
 force
 ampli
 cation.
So:
 The
 force
 is
 ampli
 ed,
 and
 it
 is
 directed
 in

another
 direction,
 both
 of
 the
 key
 elements
 of
 a

simple
 machine.

Step 2: Next, do the same experiment as above,

but place the rubber bands on the inner pegs.
Will it be easier or harder to force the boards
apart? As you can see, the rubber bands dont
stretch as much, so it will be easier to force the
boards apart than in step 1.
1. Increase the number of rubber bands. How
does this change the force necessary to move
Here are some other variations you could make the wedge?
on this basic experiment:
2. Rather than use the rubber bands to make a
force, place a weight on the top board. Now
you can lift the weight with the wedge!

Part
 II:
 A
 Bit
 More
 Detail
Other
 Uses
 of
 the
 Wedge
Step
 1:
 Rather
 than
 pushing
 the
 wedge,
 tap
 it

with
 your
 hand.
 Now
 you
 are
 changing
 the
 im-
pulsive
 force
 of
 your
 blow
 into
 a
 much
 larger

force
 moving
 the
 boards
 apart.
 An
 even
 gentle

tap
 will
 make
 a
 remarkably
 large
 force!
 Its

easy
 to
 force
 the
 boards
 apart
 even
 with
 all
 of

the
 rubber
 bands
 in
 place.
Step 2: Use several rubber bands on the outer
set of pegs, and drive the wedge in between the
two boards. Now, let it go. It will stay in place!
This is how a door wedge works. The friction
between the wedge and the boards is enough to
keep it from sliding, so you can use a wedge to
prop a door open. A shallower angle makes a
more effective prop. Can you see why?
1. How could you increase the force of the
wedge? (You can make a skinnier, longer
wedge. This will amplify the force even
Here are some questions to ask your students
more.)
about this exercise:
2. Can you think of practical examples of
wedges? (There are manyone example is
on the next page.)

Extensions
Where
 do
 you
 see
 wedges?
 Weve
 seen
 a
 few
 examples;
 heres
 one
 more
 to
 get
 you
 thinking!

Wedges
 in
 the
 Kitchen:
 The
 Knife
A Wedge Makes an Opening
You often see wedges used to make an opening.
A knife is a wedge: it is thicker at the top than at
the blade. As it moves through a banana, it forces
it apart. Scissors are just two wedges that work
together.
What other examples can you think of in which
you use something that is skinny on one side and
thicker on the other that you use to make an opening by forcing in the skinny side?
And you use this principle in less obvious ways as
well. Think about how you hold your arms when
you dive into a swimming pool...

This
 guide
 written
 and
 illustrated
 by
 Brian
 Jones,
Little
 Shop
 of
 Physics,
 Colorado
 State
 University