Sledgehammer

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Sledgehammer

A sledgehammer is a tool

Tool

A broad definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other....
consisting of a large, flat head attached to a lever

Lever

In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or wiktionary:pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object....
(or handle). The head is typically made of metal

Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
. The sledgehammer can apply more impulse

Impulse

In classical mechanics, an impulse is defined as the integral of a force with respect to time. When a force is applied to a rigid body it changes the momentum of that body....
than other hammers, due to its large size. Along with the mallet

Mallet

A Mallet is a type of hammer with a head made of softer materials than the steel normally used in hammerheads, so as to avoid damaging a delicate surface....
, it shares the ability to distribute force over a wide area. This is in contrast to other types of hammer

Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving Nail s, fitting parts, and breaking up objects....
, which concentrate force in a relatively small area. handle is typically half-a-meter (1 foot, 7.68 inches) to a full meter (3 feet, 3.37 inches) long; the head mass is usually one to three kilograms (2.2 to 6.6 pounds).

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Encyclopedia

A sledgehammer is a tool

Tool

Lever

Metal

Impulse

Mallet

Hammer

Uses

The handle is typically half-a-meter (1 foot, 7.68 inches) to a full meter (3 feet, 3.37 inches) long; the head mass is usually one to three kilograms (2.2 to 6.6 pounds). Sledgehammers usually require two hands and a swinging motion involving the entire torso

Torso

Torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. It is sometimes referred to as the trunk....
, in contrast to smaller hammer

Hammer

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving Nail s, fitting parts, and breaking up objects....
s used for driving in nails. The combination of a long swinging range, and heavy head, increase the force of the resulting impact.

Sledgehammers are often used in construction work

Construction

In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of multitasking....
, for breaking through drywall

Drywall

Drywall is a common building material typically made of a layer of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln dried. Drywall is used globally for the finish construction of interior walls and ceilings....
or masonry

Masonry

Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar , and the term "masonry" can also refer to the units themselves....
wall

Wall

A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into Room s, or protects or delineates a space in the open air....
s. Sledgehammers are also used when substantial force is necessary to dislodge a trapped object (often in farm

Farm

A farm is an area of land, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibers and, increasingly, fuel....
or oil field

Oil field

An oil field is a region with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum from below ground. Because the oil reservoirs typically extend over a large area, possibly several hundred kilometres across, full exploitation entails multiple wells scattered across the area....
work). Another common use is for driving fence posts into the ground. Sledgehammers are used by police forces in raids on property to gain entry by force, commonly through doors.

Another iconic use of sledgehammers is for driving railroad spikes into the ground during rail construction. When the two ends of the Union Pacific railroad were joined at Promontory, Utah

Promontory, Utah

Promontory in Box Elder County, Utah, United States, is notable as the location of Promontory Summit where the United States' First Transcontinental Railroad was officially completed on May 10, 1869....
, Leland Stanford

Leland Stanford

Amasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, politician and founder of Stanford University....
hammered a golden spike

Golden spike

A "Last Spike" is the last, ceremonial Rail spike driven specifically to mark the completion of a railroad line. The so called "Golden Spike" was the "Last Spike" driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroa...
into a tie with a silver hammer.

Maul

A maul is a heavy hammer, typically with a long handle and an oversized wooden head. The term can also be used to refer to a sledgehammer with a short handle.