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Marcia,
We do this with just a vacuum and a garbage bag. Admittedly we did add a whiffle ball to the end of the vacuum so that it would be less likely to get clogged.
We talk about how this is how it might feel if you were an item getting vacuum packed (that's what you're really doing). To call it "g- forces" may be a bit misleading to some, in that it's not directly equivalent to an jet's acceleration or the force of gravity on a different planet (that seems to be how most people relate to g- forces). We feel it may help people realize that the air is always pressing on us, we just don't tend to realize it, unless we can concentrate that pressure (which is what you do typically in the front as the air pressure on the front of the bag tends to make people fold down, and pins their hands against their body).
Also as you mentioned, it's just quite fun!
-William
On Feb 7, 2013, at 3:24 PM, Marcia Hale wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Looking for instructions on how to make a "body bag" to simulate g forces. Have done this activity at a couple of different science centers, but have lost my schematics on how to make the bag. Hoping someone out there has done this. Basically it's a large body bag made out of usually 6 ml visqueen. People get into the bag, sit on a chair and holding bag tightly closed around their neck get ready to experience "G" forces. The bag has had an area prepared to hold a shop vac tube...the shop vac is turned on to suck air out of the bag which collapses tightly around the body. Force is felt, giggles insue, cheap, easy....and it seems we did this all with duct tape, visqueen, a little bit of cardboard and PVC to construct the area where the vac nozzle is inserted. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out with the details so I can get this made.
> Marcia Hale
> Washington County Museum
> Hillsboro, OR
>
>
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William Katzman
Program Leader
LIGO Science Education Center
"Inspiring Science"
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(225) 686-3134
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
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