A nail is generally easier to drive into wood compared to a screw because it requires less initial force and can be hammered in with one action. A screw has threads and pitch that increase resistance, making it require more effort to insert. This relates to physics principles involving simple machines like levers and inclined planes.
The question pertaining to which is easier to drive into wood—a nail or a screw—relates to principles in physics, particularly those involving simple machines. A nail, which has a smooth surface, requires less initial force to push into wood compared to a screw. However, a screw's design—with its threads and pitch—provides more control and holding power but requires more effort to drive
in due to the resistance from its threads. In general, a nail can be hammered into wood with significant force in a single action, making it seem easier and quicker to insert than a screw which requires a screwdriver and rotational force to advance into the wood as a lever attached to an inclined plane.
The level of ease also varies depending on the tools used and the specific application in carpentry. When discussing the consumption of nails as mentioned in the example with the spring measurement, this is a separate scenario related to tracking resource usage rather than the physical ease of insertion. In that case, if the spring stretches from 50 cm initially to 30 cm at the end of the day, it indicates a 40% usage of nails from the box, as the reduction implies.
So, when considering the insertion into wood without the use of power tools, a nail is typically easier and quicker to drive in comparably to a screw, which is designed to be turned and can resist being driven in.