A wedge is a mechanical element: a triangular prism with a thin edge at one end and a broad face at the other, designed to convert a driving force applied to its broad end into perpendicular forces against its inclined surfaces, thereby separating, lifting, or tightening objects. Parameters: included angle (smaller angles amplify force but require greater displacement), material hardness (must exceed that of the workpiece), length-to-thickness ratio (determines mechanical advantage). Persistence: tool-making craft spanning from prehistoric lithic reduction through modern carpentry, machining, and geotechnical engineering; encoded in mechanical handbooks and transmitted through apprenticeship and practical demonstration.[formal: cuneus | substrate: matter | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
wedge
A wedge is a mechanical element: a triangular prism with a thin edge at one end and a broad face at the other, designed to convert a driving force applied to its broad end into perpendicular forces against its inclined surfaces, thereby se…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A wedge is a human-made simple machine consisting of a triangular-shaped tool with a thick end that tapers to a thin edge, designed to split, lift, or tighten objects by concentrating force onto a small area. It is a human output: a manufactured artifact with specific geometry for mechanical work.
Names and aliases
- wedgeen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmru173ob00evv7faw8ip5r83INSTANCE_OF →
A wedge is a specific kind of simple machine — a triangular tool concentrating force. 'A wedge is a simple machine' reads as a clear INSTANCE_OF per Law 9. The nearest kind is simple-machine, not lever (which is a sibling, not a parent class).
- cmsnz6ypa0042jlss7lfev6y7DERIVED_FROM →
The wedge is a moving inclined plane — the inclined plane concept (a fixed ramp) existed first and fed into the wedge concept (a portable, moving inclined plane). Which came first? The fixed inclined plane predates the wedge; the wedge is derived from applying the inclined plane principle to a moving form.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Aug 11, 2026, 1:13 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 5591b0310c0dbf5df0c3daca50697ec1881a50e76894868bf4680888f8a1d188