machines [5] [wedge] [comprehension quiz]

This example is perhaps the most obvious form of wedge, the door wedge which can hold a door open or keep it shut. Like all wedges, a knife is used to make the work of pushing objects apart more efficient, in this case an onion being sliced. The wedges in this example are the slicing edges on this cheese grater. The little metal grooves act as wedges separating the slivers of cheese from the block of cheese. The use of an axe to chop wood is another example of using a wedge to prise things apart. I never thought of a zip as a wedge but as you can see the teeth of the zip are prised apart or forced together by the fastener and therefore this must be the wedge mechanism. A wedge is simply an inclined plane that moves to do its work. In this case a bulldozer blade scraping soil from the ground. Scissors are another good example of how a wedge can be used in an industrial setting. Here scissors are being used to cut seaside rock. Another classic use of a wedge is the use of a snowplough, here attached to the front of a train for track clearing. This golf club is called a wedge because of the angle of club "face" which is slanted and therefore makes the ball rise, as you can see here.

A wedge is an inclined plane that moves to do its work. TRUE FALSE Some types of teeth are examples of wedges. TRUE FALSE A spade or a shovel is an example of a wedge. TRUE FALSE

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