Falling off of a building and ANY equations that would be associated with that

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    Building Falling
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the physics of falling from a building, specifically focusing on the calculations related to the force of impact upon hitting the ground. The context includes theoretical considerations and practical implications of various factors influencing the impact force, particularly in relation to a four-story building (approximately 17 meters tall).

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks equations related to the impact force when falling from a four-story building, indicating a general inquiry into the physics involved.
  • Another participant questions the specificity of the inquiry, suggesting that a more detailed question would yield better responses and hints at the possibility of it being a homework problem.
  • A participant clarifies that there is no single force upon impact, noting that the acceleration experienced during the impact is large but inconsistent depending on how the body contacts the ground.
  • Various equations are mentioned, including kinetic energy, impact force, acceleration, and velocity, but without context on how they apply to the specific scenario.
  • One participant emphasizes the complexity of determining the impact force, highlighting that factors such as the surface type (concrete, snow, pillow) and the manner of impact (which part of the body hits first) significantly influence the outcome.
  • There is a suggestion that empirical testing may be necessary to accurately determine the impact force due to the variability in human anatomy and material properties.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the impact force and the complexity of calculating it. There is no consensus on a specific method or equation to use, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to calculate the impact force.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks specific assumptions about the conditions of the fall, such as the initial velocity or the exact nature of the ground surface. There are unresolved mathematical steps related to the application of the mentioned equations.

Meprathe
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I was just wondering about any equations that would play a part in this situation. Obviously gravity plays a role but like calculating the force you'd hit the ground at like the force in pounds or something anything really is what I need it's just a general question. Preferably a 4 story building (17meters tall)
 
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Hmmm... *checks book* gee, sorry, we're all out of equations for 4 story buildings. Can you work with 5 stories? :smile:

It sounds like you have a specific question in mind, even though you're trying to sound like you don't. Is this some sort of homework problem? If so, it should be asked in the homework forum... and whether it is or not, you'll get better information if you make your question as specific and detailed as possible. What exactly do you want to know?
 
Well I guess I want to know is how would I calculate the amount of force you hit the ground with? Or something similar to that
 
There is no single force when you hit the ground. f=ma, but the impact is short so the acceleration is large but inconsistent (ie, if your feet hit the ground first, your legs might decelerate very fast while your body is still decelerating slowly).
 
kinetic energy= 1/2 mv^2
impact = FT
acceleration= v-u/t
velocity = d/t
etc..
 
As russ waters said, it's going to be hard to figure this out. You can figure out how fast you're going right before you hit the ground, and we know you won't be moving after...but it's how fast you go from moving to not moving is the hard part, and is directly related to how much force you hit the ground with.

Is it concrete, is it ground, is it snow, is it a pillow. If it's concrete, how do you hit it? If you hit it with your head, initially the skull will provide a large force, since it's hard. Once the skull cracks and the brain starts to get smashed, the force decreases. The jawbone will in turn increase the force again...

The point is different materials bend/ deflect/ break differently, and different people will bend/ deflect/ break differently. To complicate this further, the way they hit each other will change the way they bend/ deflect/ break.

So basically, if you want to figure this out, testing is unfortunately the only way.
 

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