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Can dropping a penny off the Empire State Building really kill someone if it hits them?

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Originally posted by: Elixer
I never did understand *why* people would even attempt to do this.😕

I mean, you throw it down, and then when you leave, what, you check for some dead/injured person, and yell 'Oh yeah!!!! I did that! And high-five em? ':roll:
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It's probably my drunkeness but this is funny
 
Mythbusters covered this already. Like others have said low terminal velocity + low mass = a sting.

Adam, one of the hosts on mythbusters agreed to be shot in the hand with a penny "gun" (basically launched a penny at terminal velocity) and it just stung a bit he said
 
Originally posted by: Arcadio
Only if the penny is made up of neutron star material.
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Thats the rare 1987 neutron star-matter penny. Only 1000 in circulation due to tremendous gravitational pull against the moon.
 
Originally posted by: Pepsei
Originally posted by: tasmanian
I think the penny would hit terminal velocity before becoming fast enough.
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er....
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I think he means in order for a penny to kill someone, it would have to travel faster than terminal velocity.
 
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Did you guys know that MythBusters did a segment on this very thing????
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Originally posted by: venkman
Mythbusters did an episode on this. 😛
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No wai!!

Originally posted by: walrus
Myth busters did a segment on this, they said no.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_State_Building



The Discovery Channel show MythBusters tested the urban myth which claims that if one drops a penny off the top of the Empire State Building, it could kill someone or put a crater in the pavement. The outcome was that, by the time the penny hits the ground, it is going roughly 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) (terminal velocity for an object of its mass and shape), which is not fast enough to inflict lethal injury or put a crater into the pavement.[
Note no one has ever been killed by a penny dropping off anything. And they aren't pennies, they are cent pieces. The penny is some sort of English coin. I don't think any American has ever understood the English monetary system.
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Originally posted by: Pacfanweb


If you want to see how much, shoot a penny at someone with a slingshot.
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Your understanding of terminal velocity vs forced acceleration leaves a lot to be desired. If you can't grasp simple concepts don't argue with people that can.

 
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: oiprocs
I very much doubt that the penny will only "sting a bit".

It HAS to do more than that.
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Not really. Terminal velocity of a penny is only about 65mph. Coupled with the very low mass it's not a dangerous projectile.
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65 is killer man! How about I get in my car and hit you at 65!

And whats this low mass? We dont care what the attendance at church is man, we're dealin with deadly pennies here.
 
Wait, we should check to see if maybe Mythbusters has done anything on this topic 😉

Others have already beaten the terminal velocity / mass / updrafts etc horses to death, but just for comparison, if a pitcher throws a baseball at 65 mpg and hits you, it will hurt but probably not cause any serious damage. The mass of the ball is A LOT bigger than a penny. I can't imagine a penny would do anything -- not even really sting.
 
Originally posted by: Specop 007
Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Originally posted by: oiprocs
I very much doubt that the penny will only "sting a bit".

It HAS to do more than that.
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Not really. Terminal velocity of a penny is only about 65mph. Coupled with the very low mass it's not a dangerous projectile.
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65 is killer man! How about I get in my car and hit you at 65!

And whats this low mass? We dont care what the attendance at church is man, we're dealin with deadly pennies here.
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You sir are so painfully unfunny that I actually felt the earth shift due to the collective facepalm of the cosmos as your post came into existence.

For the love of god don't try to be clever again. There's no telling what will happen.
 
Mythbusters already did it. The answer was inconclusive due to the overwhelming amount of people saying that Mythbusters already did it. It was just a wasted day.
 
Originally posted by: Double Trouble
Wait, we should check to see if maybe Mythbusters has done anything on this topic 😉

Others have already beaten the terminal velocity / mass / updrafts etc horses to death, but just for comparison, if a pitcher throws a baseball at 65 mpg and hits you, it will hurt but probably not cause any serious damage. The mass of the ball is A LOT bigger than a penny. I can't imagine a penny would do anything -- not even really sting.
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I wish I could find a baseball that got 65 mpg. 😛
 
Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
I did this from the top of the Power Tower one time. The penny tumbled on its way down and was moving quite slowly. Had I let go the instant the ride dropped me, I probably would have reached the ground before it did.

Now, if I dropped a perfectly spherical piece of metal with the mass of a penny from the same height, it might actually cause some damage because it wouldn't be as affected by air resistance. But a penny? No way.
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huh?

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