By Maggie Munson

WedgesA wedge is really two inclined planes that

meet at a point.The definition of the word “wedge” is a flat

edge used to split, cut, and pierce objects.A wedge can be a compound machine.

•Some of the first people to use a wedge were the ancient people of Egypt who used wedges to break rock.•In 8000 BC American Indians used wedges for cutting and hunting.•Scientists think that a wedge may be 9,000 years old.•In 1917 Gideon Sundback invented a zipper. The zipper’s teeth are wedges.•The plow, a type of wedge, has been used for thousands of years.

Different Kinds of WedgesA scissor is made up of two wedges!An axe is an example of a wedge.Many doorstops are wedges. A knife is an example of a wedge.A needle is also a wedge.Did you know that your teeth are also

wedges?