Wedges
![Picture](/uploads/2/8/5/0/285015/3155564.gif?146)
Wedge
A wedge is a device that is thick at one end and tapers to a thin edge at another edge. When you use a wedge, instead of moving an object along the inclined plane, you move the inclined plane itself. The wedge is just a modification of the inclined plane. Wedges are used as either holding or separating devices. For example, when an ax is used to split wood, the ax handle exerts a force on the blade of the ax, which is the wedge. That force pushes the wedge down into the wood. The wedge in turn exerts an output force at a 90° to its force, splitting the wood in two. The mechanical advantage of a wedge can be determined by dividing the length of the wedge by its width.
The longer and thinner a wedge is, the greater its mechanical advantage.