Undergrad Impact on Earth: Calculating Energy

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To classify the impact of an object hitting Earth based on its mass and velocity, understanding the object's shape and density is crucial, as these factors significantly influence the impact effects. An online tool is available for calculating potential impact outcomes. The discussion highlights that Earth’s atmosphere alters the dynamics of falling objects, with examples like a flat sheet of paper illustrating this concept. For dense spherical objects, specific equations may exist to predict impact results. Accurate classification requires considering both physical properties and atmospheric interactions.
mukuruku
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Hey guys,
I have object i know its mass and velocity so i have energy. I need some king of classification of what impact it will make if it hits earth.
 
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Here’s an online tool. https://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk/ImpactEarth/ImpactEffects

As a side note, Jay Melosh did a Ph.D. at Caltech under Gell-Mann on quarks. He is known for his research on the mechanics of impact cratering. There are many paths for a physicist to take. He died a couple of years ago. May he rest in peace.
 
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mukuruku said:
Hey guys,
I have object i know its mass and velocity so i have energy. I need some king of classification of what impact it will make if it hits earth.
Because Earth has an atmosphere, it makes a huge difference what size and shape it is. For example, a flat sheet of paper flutters as it falls, the mass and velocity of the paper make little difference.

If you mean a dense spherical object, there may be equations.
 
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