Wrench

tools · machines · fixing things

Grip and twist. A wrench has specially shaped jaws that grip nuts and bolts so you can turn them without them slipping. The grip gives you the power to tighten or loosen things that would be too hard to turn with just your fingers.

Mechanical advantage. When you use a wrench, the long handle acts like a lever, giving you extra strength. This means you can turn something really tight without using all your muscle power.

Many shapes exist. Wrenches come in different designs like open-end wrenches, box wrenches, and adjustable wrenches. Each shape works best for different types of nuts and bolts in different spaces.

Essential for machines. People use wrenches to build and fix almost everything with bolts, from bicycles to cars to playground equipment. Without wrenches, we couldn't assemble or repair the machines we use every day.

Ancient cousin. The wrench idea goes way back to simple tools that helped people apply force to turn things. Modern wrenches were perfected when factories started using lots of bolts and nuts.