Vertical Testing: 420lbs vs 350lbs Dropped 5 Feet

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the drop height required for a 420-pound weight to exert the same force as a 350-pound weight dropped from 5 feet. Norm Wood emphasizes that this calculation cannot be accurately performed without additional information regarding factors such as deceleration, harness elasticity, and material deformation. Experimental methods using accelerometers on mannequins or cadavers are suggested for obtaining reliable data, provided that identical harnesses and stopping mechanisms are used in both tests.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics principles, particularly force and deceleration.
  • Familiarity with full body harness specifications and materials.
  • Knowledge of experimental testing methods, including the use of accelerometers.
  • Awareness of safety standards in weight testing and harness performance.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the physics of free fall and impact force calculations.
  • Explore the properties of materials used in full body harnesses.
  • Learn about the use of accelerometers in experimental physics.
  • Investigate safety regulations and testing protocols for harness systems.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for safety engineers, product designers of harness systems, and researchers in biomechanics who are involved in testing and evaluating the performance of safety equipment under load conditions.

normanwood
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I am going to test a full body harness. I need to know how far a 420 pound weight needs to drop to exert the same force as a 350 pound weight dropped 5 feet.

Thank You

Norm Wood
 
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You can't do that kind of calculation without much more information. The force arises from the deceleration, so what is just as important as height is the things that affect the deceleration, like the elasticity of the harness, supporting ropes, and deformation of the human body. Since some of these are pretty difficult to figure out mathematically, I suspect they are done experimentally with accelerometers in manequens or cadavers.
 
If both manequens used the exact same harness and the same steel cable was used to stop the descent. Can you come up with a ball park fiqure.
 

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