Nail (fastener)

High school (ages 12+)
Making & Design

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nail-fastener

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is a nail and how does it hold things together?A nail is a metal pin with a pointed tip that goes into wood or other material and a head that stops it from pulling out. When you drive it in, the wood fibers squeeze around the nail, creating friction that keeps it in place.
2. Why are nails usually made of steel?Steel is strong and flexible, so it can stay in place even when the material is pulled or twisted. This makes steel nails good for holding things together.

Mechanical Fastener: A device that joins two or more objects through mechanical means, rather than chemical bonding.
Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking.
Shear Strength: The ability of a material or object to resist forces that are applied parallel to its surface.