Let’s compare two axes: an axe with a blade that is 6 inches long, and 1 inch wide at the top (handle end), and a splitting maul, which is a much thicker axe. The maul in our example will have a blade which is also 6 inches long, but it is 3 inches wide at the top.

Which will have the greater mechanical advantage?

The axe will have a MA of 6/1 = 6
The maul will have a MA of 6/3 = 2

You can see that the axe has a much greater mechanical advantage; it will sink deeper into the wood with less force. However, sometimes you need the wider wedge of the maul to actually split the wood apart, which means that you’re just going to need more force to get the job done! There is one more thing you should know about wedges.

Imagine using an axe again. The higher you raise the axe above the wood, the greater will be the potential energy of the axe. This energy is converted to kinetic energy as the axe falls, increasing the work done by the wedge, allowing you to split the wood. This can be stated in a general way that the greater the distance that the plane (the wedge) moves from the object, the greater the force that will be applied when the action is taken.