======Lying on a Bed of Nails======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** Pressure and Surface Area
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  




====Links==== 
Bed of Nails - Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations: 
{{youtube>TbS-KUDrjXw?}}\\

Human Bed of Nails - Cool Science Experiment - SpanglerScienceTV: 
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📄 How to Make a Bed of Nails - Science Demonstration - Beals Science: [[https://www.bealsscience.com/post/how-to-make-a-bed-of-nails-science-demonstration]]\\


====Variations====
  * Place a board on the chest and gently rest a cinder block on top (only under professional supervision).  
  * Show the same principle using balloons pressed against one nail versus many nails.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Only use a bed with many closely spaced nails; never attempt with a small number of nails.  
  * Do not allow unsupervised students to attempt lying on the bed.  
  * Keep demonstrations simple and avoid risky add-ons like hammers unless performed by trained professionals.  
  * Ensure nails are smooth, clean, and securely fixed to avoid cuts or punctures.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why doesn’t lying on many nails cause injury? (Because the force is spread out over many points, reducing pressure at each point.)  
  * What would happen if only a few nails were used? (The pressure would be high enough to puncture the skin.)  
  * How does this relate to walking on snow with snowshoes? (Snowshoes spread weight over a larger area, reducing pressure so you don’t sink.)