Critical Thinking & Problem Solving HELP ME

AI Thread Summary
When a hammer strikes a nail, its momentum transfers from the hammer to the nail. The question about the hammer's momentum is considered nonsensical; a more relevant question would address the total momentum in the system. Total momentum is conserved if no external forces act on it. Understanding this principle is crucial for grasping the mechanics involved in the scenario. The discussion emphasizes the importance of framing questions correctly in physics.
WingZero
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On my quiz, it asked...


"When using a hammer to drive a nail into wood, you have to swing the hammer through the air with certain velocity. Because the hammer has both mass and momentum. Describe what happens to the hammer's momentum after the hammer hits the nail."



SCIENCE ISN'T REALLY MY THING, AND I JUST DONT GET THIS..

could anyone solve this?
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it transfers from the hammer to the nail.
 
"What happens to the hammer's momentum?" is a nonsensical question. A question that makes sense is "What happens to the total momentum?". And the answer is "It is conserved if there are no external forces". In my opinion, that is.
 

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