Question

A hammer head of mass 600g produces a force of 360N when it strikes the head of a nail. Explain how it is possible for a hammer to drive the nail into a piece of wood, yet a weight of 360N resting on the head of the nail would not

Answer 1

The momentum before the hammer collides with the nail equals the momentum after the collision:
p1 = p2.
M1*V1 + M2*V2 = M1*V + M2*V.
After the collision, the hammer and nail stays together and moves with same velocity(V).















p1 = p2