Gaining Momentum

Hammer

A modern day hammer is a tool consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as with a forge), or to crush rock. Hammers are used for a wide range of driving, shaping, and breaking applications. The modern hammer head is typically made of steel which has been heat treated for hardness, and the handle (also called a haft or helve) is typically made of wood or plastic. The term "hammer" also applies to a mechanism's part that delivers a blow, such as the hammer of a firearm or of a piano. The claw hammer has a "claw" to pull nails out of wood, and is commonly found in an inventory of household tools in North America. Oth… more »