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Difficulty: EasyLevers and Fulcrums

A carpenter uses a claw hammer to pull a stubborn nail out of a wooden board. The hammer's head rests on the surface of the board while the carpenter pulls back on the handle. In this lever system, which component serves as the fulcrum?

  1. The point where the hammer head contacts the wooden boardAnswer
  2. B
    The hand applying force to the hammer handle
  3. C
    The nail being gripped and pulled by the claw
  4. D
    The point exactly halfway down the length of the handle

Answer

The correct answer is the point where the hammer head contacts the wooden board.
The fulcrum is defined as the fixed pivot point around which a lever moves. When using a claw hammer to pull a nail, the point where the curved head of the hammer rests against the board acts as this stationary pivot point. It allows the lever to multiply the force applied at the handle to overcome the resistance of the nail.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Define the role of a fulcrum in any lever system.
A fulcrum is the stationary point or hinge around which a lever pivots or rotates.
Understanding the mechanical definition is required before analyzing the specific tool.
2
Analyze the physical action of the claw hammer pulling the nail.
As the carpenter pulls the handle (effort) to lift the nail (load), the entire hammer rotates around the point where the curved head presses into the wood.
Mapping the definitions of effort, load, and fulcrum to the real-world scenario identifies the correct component.

Key Concept

Lever Components: Identifying the Fulcrum, Effort, and Load
Estimated Time:30s
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Topics

Levers and Fulcrums

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