Objective:
-To demonstrate the basic idea that pressure is force divided by area.
Apparatus:
- Bed of Nail Boards (two parts)
- lab coat
- 2’x 2′ plywood board
- maul/sledgehammer
- cinder block
- face shield
Method:
Place both parts of the bed of nails end to end. Put on the lab coat. Gently lie down on the bed of nails, holding the handles on both sides of the boards to distribute body weight evenly. The lab coat is not needed in principle, but is used to prevent tears in clothing and as an extra precaution to prevent small scratches.
To further illustrate the idea of pressure equal to force divided by area, place the plywood board on your chest, and place a cinder block on top. Ask another instructor/student to assist by breaking the cinder block using a maul/sledgehammer. For this step, it is important to wear the face shield to protect from any small cinder block pieces.