Does the air pressure inside a football helmet change how much impact reaches your head? You set up four plastic helmets on a simulated head made from Styrofoam. An accelerometer probe inside the head measures the force of impact.
A weight drops from a pulley onto each helmet. You pump the helmet padding to different air pressures ranging from 10 to 50 mmHg. Higher air pressure absorbs more of the blow. At 50 mmHg, the impact force drops to just 10 Newtons.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that the higher the air pressure in the padding of the helmet, the smaller the force of impact.
How much of a blow actually reaches your head depends on what absorbs it first. In this experiment, you pump the padding inside four plastic helmets to different air pressures — from 10 to 50 mmHg — then drop a weight onto each one from a pulley. An accelerometer probe inside a Styrofoam simulated head measures the force that gets through. At 50 mmHg, the padding absorbs enough energy that the impact force drops to just 10 Newtons.
Air pressure inside football helmet padding changes how much of a blow reaches your head. In this experiment, four plastic helmets sit over a Styrofoam simulated head fitted with an accelerometer probe. A weight drops from a pulley onto each helmet, which has been pumped to a different air pressure — from 10 to 50 mmHg. As pressure rises, the padding slows down more of the impact. At 50 mmHg, the force reaching the simulated head drops to just 10 Newtons.
Method & Materials
You will tie a string to the bottom of a pulley, attach a weight to another string, and set up the equipment to measure the force of impact. You will then insert the accelerometer probe into the simulation of a human head, pump air into the padding of the football helmet, and release the weight on the helmet and the simulated head.
You will need 4 plastic football helmets, a pump, a pulley, a simulation of a human's head, 2 lengths of string, cellophane tape, an accelerator probe, and a computer.
Eureka Crate — engineering & invention kits for ages 12+ — monthly projects that build real-world skills. (Affiliate link)
The results showed that as the air pressure in the padding of the helmet increased, the force of impact decreased. This supports the hypothesis that the higher the air pressure in the padding of the helmet, the smaller the force of impact.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it explores how air pressure affects cushioning, which is an important factor in protecting athletes from head injuries.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include using different materials for the simulation of the human head and using different weights.
Full project details
Additional information and source material for this project are available below.
