Dynamics Activity
Wooden Hammer

BHS -> Staff -> Mr. Stanbrough -> Physics -> Mechanics -> Newton's Laws -> Newton's First Law -> this page

Purpose:

Demonstrate both parts of Newton's First Law

Equipment:

wooden hammer (wooden block (head) with a more-or-less snug hole for large dowel(handle))

Description:

You can demonstrate "tightening the head" of the hammer is more effective if you bang the handle on the table, rather than the head. (The head has more inertia than the handle, so it "wants to keep its velocity" more than the handle does.)

You can hold the handle horizontally, and move it through the head by tapping on the end of the handle. (Head is at rest and "wants" to stay at rest.)

Explanation: