Question

You're using a wedge to split a log. you are hitting the wedge with a large hammer to drive it into the log. it takes a force of 1900 n to push the wedge into the wood. if the wedge moves 0.23 m into the log, how much work have you done on the wedge?

Answer 1

The work performed on an object is the force multiplied by the distance it is moved, provided the movement is parallel to the force.  Since that is the case here, we can get the work by W=Fd=1900N x 0.23m = 437J.  This energy is used to split the wood.

Answer 2

Answer: 437 J

Work done can be defined as the product of force and displacement. It is the work required to move an object to certain distance using a certain force.

$work=force\times displacement$

It is given that:

$Force=1900 N$

$Displacement=0.23 m$

Then, $work=1900N\times 0.23m = 437 N-m=437J$

Hence, the work done on the wedge to drive it into log is 437 J