How Is Kinetic Energy Transferred from a Hammer to a Nail?

[dg_5021]

Estimate the kinetic energy acquired by a 12g nail when it is struck by a 550g hammer moving with a speed of 4.5 m/s?

How do u find the kinetic energy? i first mutiply 550 x 4.5= 2475 /12= 206.25 am i doing it right?

 

[Tide]

Estimate the kinetic energy acquired by a 12g nail when it is struck by a 550g hammer moving with a speed of 4.5 m/s?

How do u find the kinetic energy? i first mutiply 550 x 4.5= 2475 /12= 206.25 am i doing it right?

Kinetic energy is

$$\frac {1}{2} m v^2$$

For your problem, you have to determine how much kinetic energy the hammer transfers to the nail.

 

[dg_5021]

1/2 550 x 4.5 = so then it will be 1237.5J right?

 

[brewnog]

Work on those units chuck...

 

[Fredrik]

I think this is a very strange question. You can calculate the hammer's energy, but you can't know how much of it is transferred to the nail. Is somebody holding the hammer? Is somebody throwing it? Will it bounce?

What you've calculated is the hammer's energy, but if you want the answer in Joules you should use kilograms, not grams, as your unit for mass.