Why Doesn't Jumping Off a High Cliff Into Water Save You?

[Peter G.]

When I was a kid I remember thinking that if you jumped off an incredibly high cliff but fell on water you would survive.

Now I know you don't, but I don't know how to explain why, my guess is:

When you are about to hit the water after a suicidal attempt described above you have a lot of kinetic energy. I am assuming that when you actually hit the liquid surface you use all that energy to do work to deplete the water. Doing work involves exerting a force to cause the displacement of the water so could the Force you exert on the water, force that the water consequently exerts back on you with the same magnitude but with opposite direction be responsible?

Thanks in advance,
Peter G

 

[cupid.callin]

Better explanation would be that when you hit the surface of water, all of your momentum is used to break the surface tension of the water and that too in a very small amount of time.

Thus a very large impulse acts on your body which breaks your bones!