Striking Nails! 9-1 Project 1

Purpose To find out which is the hardest wood out of 1. Oak 2. Maple 3. Poplar 4. Pine

Hypothesis My hypothesis is that the pine will be the easiest to get through because it is a softer wood and can be slightly indented with your fingernail.

Materials For device: large hinge 3 U-bolts 6 nuts screws drill socket wrench hammer two 7” pieces of 2x4 a piece of plywood

Materials (continued) For experiment: device nails apple short lengths of wood - oak - poplar - maple - pine

Method For the device: 1. Screw the two pieces of 2x4 on top of each other, then screw pieces to plywood. 2. Screw square side of hinge to 2x4. 3. Using the U-bolts and the nuts, mount the hammer to the triangular side of the hinge. 4. Place the different pieces of wood ( oak, poplar, maple, pine) by the top of the hammer.

Method (continued) For the experiment: 1. Use a knife to cut the apple into squares. 2. Put a nail in each square (to hold the nail in place). 3. Place one of the four boards chosen under the head of the hammer and a nail/apple on the board. 4. Lift the hammer up to the measured distance and make sure it is lined up to hit the nail. 5. Continue step 4 until nail penetrates through the other side of the board. 6. Continue steps 3, 4, and 5 on the other three boards. 7. Record Results.

Variables Manipulated: Type of wood Responding: Number of hits needed to drive in nail Controlled: Amount of force Nails Hammer

Results Test 1Test 2Test 3 Oak Poplar668 Maple2825 Unsuccessful At 34 Pine443

Analysis

Conclusion I have come to the conclusion that pine is the softest wood, with poplar close behind and oak and maple are fairly hard. Maple is the hardest wood of the four.

Sources of Error The apple broke sometimes which made the nail a bit crooked. With my 3 rd try at the maple, the nail hit a hard spot and bent up (hit a knot). Hammer might of wobbled.

Ways to Improve Find a better way to keep the nails up. Find a way to keep the hammer steady every time. Try to find knotless wood.

The End