How to Calculate Force Through a Wedge
A wedge, one of the six simple machines, is designed to reduce the amount of effort force necessary to produce a desired result. Wedges are used to split two surfaces apart or hold them together, such as the keystone of an arch. You can calculate the amount of force exerted by a wedge on the inner surfaces of an object by determining its ideal mechanical advantage if you know how much force you can exert on the wedge. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure the length of the wedge from base to tip.
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Measure the width of the wedge at the base.
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Divide the length of the wedge by the width. For example, a wedge 30-inches long and 5-inches wide has a mechanical advantage of six.
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Multiply the mechanical advantage by the effort force. If your effort force is 20 newtons, the force exerted on the inner surfaces is 120 newtons. Each side of the wedge exerts 60 newtons of force.
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