Final answer:
In certain martial arts, people can break a piece of wood with the side of their bare hand without injury due to the application of impulse.
Step-by-step explanation:
In certain martial arts, people practice breaking a piece of wood with the side of their bare hand without injuring themselves. This can be achieved through the understanding and application of impulse.
Impulse is the change in momentum of an object and is calculated by multiplying the force applied to an object by the time over which the force is applied.
When breaking a piece of wood, the person's hand moves forward quickly, and the force is applied over a very short duration. This results in a large impulse being applied to the wood, causing it to break. However, because the time over which the force is applied is so short, the impact on the hand is minimized. Additionally, the hand is conditioned and trained over time to withstand the force and impact, further reducing the risk of injury.