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. The wedge is like an inclined plane. Actually, a wedge is two inclined planes joined together back to back. Examples of a wedge are an ax, the point of a nail, a doorstop, and a knife. When you use an inclined plane to do work the inclined plane stays still and the object being acted upon is moving. When using the wedge, the object being acted upon stays still and the wedge is moving.

A wedge uses force to come between two things. A wedge is used for three different types of work: connecting (the nail), splitting (the ax), and tightening (the doorstop.)

One end of the wedge tapers to a thin edge and the other end is wide. The longer and thinner a wedge is, the less effort is needed to overcome the resistance force. A very sharp knife requires less effort to cut through a potato because it's blade has been made thinnner by sharpening. Try hammering a very thin nail into a block of wood and then try hammering a thick nail into the same block of wood. Which was easier? The thin nail is easier to hammer into the wood because the point of the nail (the wedge) is thinner.