When selecting a mallet to drive a chisel, weight is important. Let's look at the math without going deep.

There are two assets a mallet can bring to the work, Energy and Momentum.

Energy = Mass times Velocity squared. Energy = M V V (neglecting the constant 1/2 for this non numerical discussion)

Momentum = Mass times Velocity. Momentum = M V

Now let's go to the shop for an experiment. We'll cut across the grain.

Lets hit with a light and fast mallet, high energy. Fibers are cut but not deeply.

Now a heavy slow mallet, velocity is less important. More fibers are cut. Hmmm why is that?


I believe this can be understood without invoking integral calculus but have hit a wall here.