Question

A hammer of mass 500 g, moving at 50 ms⁻¹, strikes a nail. The nail stops the hammer in a very short time of 0.01 s. What is the force of the nail on the hammer?

Answer 1

The force of the nail on the hammer,

F = `"Change in momentum of hammer"/ "Time"`

F = `(m (v - u))/t`

F = `(0.50  kg  (0 - 50  ms^-1))/(0.01 s)`

F = `(0.50  kg (0 - 50  ms^-1))/(0.01 s)`

F = -2500 N

The minus sign denotes the force that the nail applies to the hammer when it acts in the opposite direction of the hammer.