A 2.0 kg hammer drops 12.0 m from scaffolding onto a metal cabinet. If it freefalls the entire distance, and puts a 0.050 m dent into the metal, what force was given to the metal by the hammer?

Any object moving under the influence of free fall will exert acceleration equal to acceleration due to gravity. So the force acting or experienced by the object under free fall will depend completely on the mass of the object and the acceleration due to gravity. If the free falling object falls on another object and exerts force on that object. As in the present case, the free falling object which is the hammer falls on the metal and causes dent. So the force given to the metal by hammer will be equal to the force experienced by the hammer during free fall.

[tex]Force experienced during free fall = Mass of hammer * Acceleration due to gravity[/tex]

So, the mass of the hammer is 2 kg and the acceleration due to gravity is known as 9.8 ms⁻².

Then,[tex]Force given to the metal = 2*9.8 = 19.6 N[/tex]

So, the force given to the metal by the hammer is 19.6 N.