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How to Make a Tangent Line for a Wrench

The wrench, a staple of the toolbox, makes light work of tight nuts and bolts. This powerful tool is actually a simple machine in the form of a lever. The wrench works by translating the force applied at one end of the lever into rotational motion at the other end. Because the resulting motion follows a circular path, it is possible to find a tangent to the movement at the point of rotation. For maximum effect, you must apply a force on the wrench along the tangent line.

Marker
Ruler
Protractor

Instructions

- 1
  Draw a line down the length of the wrench using the marker and the ruler. This long axis of the wrench represents the arm of the lever.
- 2
  Position the wrench over the structure that will be rotated by the wrench. Typical structures include nuts and bolt heads.
- 3
  Use a protractor to measure 90 degrees to the long axis of the wrench. The protractor can be positioned at any point along the long axis of the wrench.
- 4
  Draw a line at 90 degrees to the wrench axis. This orthogonal line is the tangent line or line of action for the wrench. Pushing or pulling parallel to this line will produce the greatest torque or rotational force for the wrench.

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