Why is it that a person can lay still on a "bed" of nails (see the figure below) without suffering any serious injuries but would incur severe puncture wounds to his feet if he tried to stand barefoot on the same "bed"? E E B: - 5 E D E 5 O A person lying still on a \"bed" of nails has his weight distributed over a much larger area than if he were standing, and so the force (pressure x unit area) on the person's skin is much greater when lying down. Because the upward force is much greater when lying down, the net force (weight 7 force from nails) is closer to zero, and the nails do not puncture the skin. 0 A person lying still on a \"bed" of nails has his weight distributed over a much larger area than if he were standing, and so the pressure (force/unit area) on the person's skin is much less when lying down. Because the pressure is much less when lying down, the nails do not puncture the skin. 0 A person lying still on a "bed" of nails takes up far more volume than a standing person, and so the buoyant force exerted by the air is much greater on a lying person than a standing person. Because the net force (weight 7 buoyant force) is much less, the pressure (force/unit area) is much less for a lying person, and the nails do not puncture the skin. 0 The weight of a person lying still on a "bed" of nails is much less than the weight of a standing person, and so the pressure (force/unit area) on the person's skin is much less when lying down. Because the pressure is much less when lying down, the nails do not puncture the skin