Hydraulic shears are used in manufacturing to cut large sheets of metal. Using hydraulic pressure, the machine pushes a wedge that is shaped as an inclined plane—not biface like an axe—to cut the metal. (imagine one side or blade of a pair of scissors. ) in this problem, a shear has a 1/5-inch thick cutting blade with a 45-degree slope between the two sides of the blade. Hydraulic pressure applies a 2000-lb force to a wedge