Final answer:
The metal pusher should be held like a pencil with the flat end held at a 90-degree angle from the nail plate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The metal pusher should be held like a pencil with the flat end held at a 90-degree angle from the nail plate.
The question pertains to the use of a metal pusher and the proper technique for using it to prevent bending of nails when hammering them into hard materials. The term nail puller is a form of simple machine that falls into physics, specifically in the area concerning levers and mechanical advantage. In regard to the mechanical advantage of a nail puller, one calculates it by dividing the distance from the pivot to the point where the force is applied by the distance from the pivot to the nail. Therefore, if you exert a force 45 cm from the pivot and the nail is 1.8 cm on the other side, the mechanical advantage would be 45 cm / 1.8 cm = 25. To apply a force of 1250 N to the nail using this nail puller, you would need to exert a minimum force calculated by dividing the desired force by the mechanical advantage, which results in 1250 N / 25 = 50 N.