A modern hammer is directly descended from ancient hand tools

A tool is a device or a piece of equipment that typically provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a task or enables the accomplishment of a task not otherwise possible. A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects A broader definition of a tool is an entity used to interface between two or more domains that facilitates more effective action of one domain upon the other In Physics and Engineering, mechanical advantage (MA is the factor by which a mechanism multiplies the force put into it The most basic tools are simple machines. In Physics, especially Mechanics, a simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a Force. For example, a crowbar simply functions as a lever. A crowbar, pry bar, or prybar, more informally a jimmy, jimmy bar, jemmy ( British Isles) or gooseneck is The further out from the pivot point, the more force is transmitted along the lever. When particularly intended for domestic use, a tool is often called a utensil.

Observation has confirmed that multiple species can use tools, including monkeys, apes, several birds, sea otters, and others. A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) is a Marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Philosophers originally thought that only humans had the ability to make tools, until zoologists observed birds^[1] and monkeys^[2][3][4] making tools. Zoology (from Greek ζῷον, zoon, "animal" + λόγος, " Logos " "knowledge" is the branch of Now humans' unique relationship to tools is considered to be that we are the only species that uses tools to make other tools.

Most anthropologists believe that the use of tools was an important step in the evolution of mankind. Anthropology (/ˌænθɹəˈpɒlədʒi/ from Greek grc ἄνθρωπος anthrōpos, "human" -λογία -logia) is the study of Human evolution, or anthropogenesis, is the part of biological Evolution concerning the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct Species ^[5] Humans evolved an opposable thumb - useful in holding tools - and increased dramatically in intelligence, which aided in the use of tools. The thumb is the medial -most digit of the hand The English adjective for thumb is pollical ^[6]

Functions

• Cutting tools, such as the knife, scythe or sickle, are wedge-shaped implements that produce a shearing force along a narrow face. A knife is a handheld sharp-edged instrument consisting of handle attached to a Blade used for cutting For the ancient Sicilian tyrant see Scythes. A scythe (ˈsaɪð from Old English siðe. A sickle is a hand-held Agricultural Tool with a curved Blade typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for Hay. A shear stress, denoted \tau\ ( Tau) is defined as a stress which is applied Parallel or tangential to a face of a material Ideally, the edge of the tool needs to be harder than the material being cut or else the blade will become dulled with repeated use. Hardness refers to various properties of Matter in the Solid phase that give it high resistance to various kinds of shape change when Force But even resilient tools will require periodic sharpening, which is the process of removing deformation wear from the edge. Sharpening is the process of creating or refining a sharp edge of appropriate shape on a tool or implement designed for cutting Also gouges and drill bits. For the ficitonal character see Drill Bit (Transformers. Drill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes
• Moving tools, move huge and tiny things, e. g. concentrating force tools like the hammer moves a nail, the maul moves a stake, or a whip moves flesh on a horse. A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects The word whip describes two basic types of tools A long stick-like device usually slightly flexible with a small bit of leather or cord called a "popper" on the These operate by applying physical compression to a surface. Physical compression is the result of the subjection of a material to Compressive stress, resulting in reduction of Volume. In the case of the screwdriver, the force is sideways and called torque. The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten or to loosen and remove Screws The screwdriver comprises a head or tip which engages with A torque (τ in Physics, also called a moment (of force is a pseudo- vector that measures the tendency of a force to rotate an object about Writing implements deliver a fluid to a surface via compression to activate the ink cartridge. A writing implement or writing instrument is an object used to produce Writing. Also grabbing and twisting nuts and blots with pliers, a glove, a wrench, etc. Pliers are Hand tools designed primarily for gripping objects by using Leverage. A glove ( Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of Garment (and more specifically a Fashion A wrench or spanner is a Tool used to provide a Mechanical advantage in applying Torque to turn bolts, nuts or . . ) All these tools move items by some kind of force. Also Trucks, Rockets and Planes move larger items. A rocket or rocket vehicle is a Missile, Aircraft or other Vehicle which obtains Thrust by the reaction of the
• Guiding and measuring tools include the ruler, set square, straightedge and theodolite. A ruler, or rule, is an instrument used in Geometry, Technical drawing and engineering/building to measure distances and/or to rule straight In American English, a set square is an alternative name for a T-square. A straightedge is a tool with an accurately straight edge used for drawing or cutting straight lines or checking the straightness of lines A theodolite ( is an instrument for measuring both horizontal and vertical Angles as used in Triangulation networks
• Shaping tools, such as moulds, jigs, trowels, concrete formwork, caulk, concrete. WikipediaManual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English --> Molds (or The jig (port is a Folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type popular in Ireland. A trowel is one of several similar Hand tools used for digging smoothing or otherwise moving around small amounts of viscous or particulate material Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent moulds into which Concrete or similar materials are poured Caulking is a process used to seal the seams in Wooden Boats or ships and riveted iron or steel ships in order to make them watertight Concrete is a construction material composed of Cement (commonly Portland cement) as well as other cementitious materials such as Fly ash and Slag
• Fastening tools, such as welders, rivet guns, nail guns, glue guns, glue. A welder (also weldor, which term distinguishes the Tradesman from the equipment used to make welds is a Tradesman who specialises in Welding A rivet gun is a type of Tool used to drive rivets. Nearly all rivet guns are pneumatically powered A nail gun, nailgun or nailer is a type of Tool used to drive nails into Wood or some other kind of material Glue gun redirects here for the band Glue Gun see Glue Gun (band. Glue or adhesive is a compound that adheres or bonds two items together

Protective gear are not tools because they do not directly help perform work, just protect the worker like ordinary clothing. Personal protective equipment, such as gloves, safety glasses, ear defenders and biohazard suits. Personal protective equipment (PPE refers to protective Clothing, Helmets, Goggles, or other garment designed to protect the wearer's body or A glove ( Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of Garment (and more specifically a Fashion Glasses, also called eyeglasses or spectacles, are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the Eyes normally for vision correction, Earmuffs are objects designed to cover a person's Ears for Protection.

Tool substitution

Often, by design or coincidence, a tool may share key functional attributes with one or more other tools. In this case, some tools can substitute for other tools, either as a make-shift solution or as a matter of practical efficiency. "One tool does it all" is a motto of some importance for workers who cannot practically carry every specialized tool to the location of every work task. Tool substitution may be divided broadly into two classes: substitution "by-design", or "multi-purpose" use, and substitution as make-shift. In many cases, the designed secondary functions of tools are not widely known. As an example of the former, many wood-cutting hand saws integrate a carpenter's square by incorporating a specially shaped handle which allows 90° and 45° angles to be marked by aligning the appropriate part of the handle with an edge and scribing along the back edge of the saw. In Woodworking and Carpentry, hand saws, also known as "panel saws" are used to cut pieces of Wood into different shapes Carpenter's square redirects here For the plant see Scrophularia marilandica. The latter is illustrated by the saying "All tools can be used as hammers. " Nearly all tools can be re purposed to function as a hammer, even though very few tools are intentionally designed for it.

Multi-use tools

• A Multitool is a hand tool that incorporates several tools into a single, portable device. A multi-tool is a portable versatile Hand tool that combines several individual tool functions in a single grip or in the shape of a Credit card.
• Lineman's pliers incorporate a gripper and cutter, and are often used secondarily as a hammer. Lineman's pliers (US English also called combination pliers and commonly referred to in the USA as Kleins after a brand name are a type of Pliers used A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects
• Hand saws often incorporate the functionality of the carpenter's square in the right-angle between the blade's dull edge and the saw's handle. In Woodworking and Carpentry, hand saws, also known as "panel saws" are used to cut pieces of Wood into different shapes Carpenter's square redirects here For the plant see Scrophularia marilandica.

History

Main article: History of technology

Evidence of stone tool manufacture and use dates from the start of the Stone Age, though it is possible that earlier tools of less durable material have not survived. The history of technology is the history of the Invention of Tools and techniques A stone tool is in the most general sense any Tool made of stone. The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which Humans widely used stone for toolmaking Stone tools found in China magnetostratigraphically date back to approximately 1. 36 million years ago. The transition from stone to metal tools roughly coincided with the development of agriculture around the 4th millennium BC. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture

Mechanical devices experienced a major expansion in their use in the Middle Ages with the systematic employment of new energy sources: water (waterwheels) and wind (windmills). Mechanics ( Greek) is the branch of Physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to Forces or displacements A water wheel is a means of extracting power from the flow (or fall of water otherwise known as Hydropower. A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind

Machine tools occasioned a surge in producing new tools in the industrial revolution. A machine tool is a powered mechanical device typically used to fabricate metal components of machines by Machining, which is the selective removal of metal The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the Advocates of nanotechnology expect a similar surge as tools become microscopic in size. Nanotechnology, sometimes shortened to nanotech, refers to a field of Applied science whose theme is the control of matter on an Atomic and Molecular ^[7][8]

See also

• Device paradigm
• Toolmaker
• List of tool-lending libraries
• Toolbank
• Category:Tool-using species

References