Impact force from a falling object

In summary, Sophie used formulas to determine the impact force of a bubble wrapped 1kg object dropped 1 meter and traveling .03m after impact. But she needs help with the next part which is what if an identical bubble wrapped 1kg object is placed on top and both are dropped at the same time. Will the wrapping between the two objects cause the top object to feel the same impact force? Will the bottom object feel more impact force or does the wrapping between them eliminate any influence from the top object? Thanks!
  • #1
iccdan
4
0
I used some formulas to determine the impact force of a bubble wrapped 1kg object dropped 1 meter and traveling .03m after impact. But I need some help with the next part. What if an identical bubble wrapped 1kg object is placed on top and both are dropped at the same time? Will the wrapping between the two objects cause the top object to feel the same impact force? Will the bottom object feel more impact force or does the wrapping between them eliminate any influence from the top object? Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Hi
Which formulas?
 
  • #3
Sophie,
I appreciate the quick response. I used these formulas: velocity(m/s) = √2gh, kinetic energy(joules) = 1/2(mv²), impact force(Newtons) = joules/distance traveled after impact, equivalent G-force = Newtons/(kg*gravity). I also cheated and used the calculator at this Georgia State U website: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/flobi.html

Thanks
 
  • #4
I think you have chosen a very difficult problem to solve here. You may be better to consider the case of two masses connected by springs, with a second spring between the first mass and the wall. Then the second mass would only be experiencing forces from the first mass during the impact. That would boil down to a fairly straightforward 'waves on a short transmission line' problem.
 
  • #5
Ok, now you are way over my head. Where can I get info to learn about 'waves on a short transmission line'?
 
  • #6
Sorry. But you could appreciate that two masses and two springs could be a simpler problem than your original one.
It's a matter of writing an equation to describe the situation and then solving it. Easy if you say it quickly! Haha
It's the basics of all wave transmission theory.
 
  • #7
http://www.ph.biu.ac.il/~rapaport/java-apps/spring.html" [Broken] is an animation which will give you an idea of what I'm describing. You can build a system of two springs and three masses in a line (not what you actually wanted but it's a start) and you can see what happens to the mass at one end when you twitch the mass at the other end.
You can extend this to what happens when one mass happens to be huge (a wall).
Have a look ands see if it helps.
 
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  • #8
Sophie,
Thanks for the link. I went to it and played with the mass and springs which gave me a better understanding of the physics involved. I also sent an email to the creator of the site to see if he would be able to add gravity to it. That would really be a help!
 

1. What is impact force from a falling object?

Impact force from a falling object is the force that an object exerts on a surface or another object when it falls and makes contact. It is caused by the acceleration of gravity acting on the mass of the falling object.

2. How is impact force calculated?

Impact force can be calculated using the formula F=ma, where F represents the force, m represents the mass of the falling object, and a represents the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²). The resulting force is measured in Newtons (N).

3. What factors affect the impact force of a falling object?

The impact force of a falling object is affected by its mass, the height from which it falls, and the surface or object it makes contact with. The angle of impact and the elasticity of the surface also play a role in determining the impact force.

4. How does impact force from a falling object cause damage?

The impact force from a falling object can cause damage by transferring its energy to the surface or object it hits. This can result in fractures, dents, or other forms of structural damage, depending on the force and the strength of the impacted surface.

5. How can impact force from a falling object be reduced?

To reduce the impact force from a falling object, measures such as installing shock-absorbing materials or increasing the distance between the falling object and the surface can be taken. Wearing protective gear and designing structures to better withstand impact can also help minimize the force and potential damage.

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