You can drop a cat from the Eiffel tower and it will survive.

[Blackghost905]

Oh no, Not another quote war!

 

[Glirk Dient]

Weight does not matter in terminal velocity. The objects air resistance is the only factor that determines terminal velocity. Weight comes into play when you hit the ground. A higher mass will mean there is more kinetic energy when you land and that energy hits you. So weighing more you will get hurt more. That is why you want to land on trees, so you hit the branches and it transfers some energy into that branch rather than you when you hit the ground.

Cats are very lightweight and fluffly and can create their own "parachute" so it is possible for them to have a low terminal velocity and light weight to survive falls and take next to no damage. They wouldn't pass out at low speeds either so they would be just fine.

 

[Blackghost905]

So what you are saying is that the hairless cats are screwed lol

 

[dantewilliams]

Some one are you taking into account of airpressure, resistance, friction. all of your equation is set up in reletivity and an ideal setting. However, the rate at which you fall isnt determined completely by the earth gravitation (-9.8 m/s) it is also determined by air resistence, which is constantly changing depending on temperature, humidity, etc.

 

[Glirk Dient]

Some one are you taking into account of airpressure, resistance, friction. all of your equation is set up in reletivity and an ideal setting. However, the rate at which you fall isnt determined completely by the earth gravitation (-9.8 m/s) it is also determined by air resistence, which is constantly changing depending on temperature, humidity, etc.

That changes it very little really. Terminal velocity is determined by weight and surface area. Hence a light object with a lot of surface area will have a lower terminal velocity. A hairless cat would be more or less screwed because the hair on their body adds a lot of surface area.

 

[Yuri]

No. No it isn't. Force is the only thing that accelerates anything. Gravity is a form of force. Air resistance is also a form of force. Weight is actually the product of the mass of an object and a gravitational force.

Weight is measured in newtons (a unit of force), which can be subtracted from the upward force of the air to get the net downward accelerating force. Makes weight sound pretty force-like to me. And it's the product of the mass and a gravitational constant.

Yeah... sorry about using "force," that was an accident. Feel like an ass for that.

However, "weight is what accelerates us downwards," just doesn't make very much sense to me, and that is what I was commenting on. So yeah, the net force can be determined by subtracting the upward forces on the object from the downward, gravitational force (the weight). But weight isn't what accelerates us downwards, gravity is.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

Weight does not matter in terminal velocity. The objects air resistance is the only factor that determines terminal velocity.
...

This page on Nasa's website says otherwise.

From the link:

Terminal Velocity V = sqrt(2W / Cd r A)
Where:
Cd = drag coefficient
r = density
A = frontal area

You can see that as weight increases, so does the terminal velocity, all other things being equal.

On the graphic they also come right out and say ...

For two objects with the same area and drag coefficient, lower terminal velocity for the lighter object.

I guess that's enough.

Still waiting to hear about that empirical evidence, guys. Who's gonna chuck their cat off a building already!

 

[Dan]

All this talk that mass doesn't affect terminal velocity is complete BS. The only part that mass doesn't affect is the aerodynamic drag. So say you have two identical shaped people falling at the same speed, one of them is 100 kg one of them is 1000 kg (he's made of iron or something). They will both experience the same amount of drag, an upwards force resisting their downwards acceleration. Lets say that it is 1000 N. Because of gravity, the first person has a downwards force of about 1000 N as well (100 kg * 9.8 N/kg), that means he will no longer accelerate. He is at terminal velocity. The second person however will have a downwards force of about 10000 way higher than 1000 N so he will keep accelerating downwards. It's simple as shit.

 

[Asknoone]

It's possible for a human to land safely on relativley hard ground from any height if they go about it properly.
Well i could at least, just bend my knees at the right time and i'd be fine.

:| ....

 

[Yuri]

Still waiting to hear about that empirical evidence, guys. Who's gonna chuck their cat off a building already!

I agree!

Also, Super Smash TV was probably one of the best games ever made.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

It's not BS, I derived it myself to test it out using quantum physics. It's really easy if you know any physics.

If you tried it at the Eiffel Tower, you would probably be targetted by Animal Rights Activists and the Media. But if it where behind closed doors then perhaps you could test the theory.

 

[Nat Turner]

If you tried it at the Eiffel Tower, you would probably be targetted by Animal Rights Activists and the Media. But if it where behind closed doors then perhaps you could test the theory.

Like an elevator shaft!! I think I just found the answer.

 

[Blackghost905]

Like an elevator shaft!! I think I just found the answer.

This would be the cats face going down

 

[Mr Stabby]

it would survive with buttered toast on its back

 

[Ennui]

Funny I should stumble on this thread, as we're doing Force in physics right now. No Star Wars jokes plzkthxbye.

Anyway, I came in here expecting that I'd have to lock the thread because it showed a video of a cat exploding on impact with the ground, but no such luck

 

[short recoil]

it would survive with buttered toast on its back

That reminds me, there was a video on the net of a cat in a 0 gravity training plane, absolutley freaking out and then spining out of control, i can't find it but if anyone know what i'm on about please post it, it's hilarious.

EDIT: Ah here we go http://media.putfile.com/isnichwahradotdeadotcat

 

[Beerdude26]

Anyway, I came in here expecting that I'd have to lock the thread because it showed a video of a cat exploding on impact with the ground, but no such luck

You horrible, horrible man.

 

[Ennui]

I mean no such luck in the capacity that I'm not allowed to be the evil moderator, not that I wanted to see a cat explode.

I like cats.

 

[Beerdude26]

I mean no such luck in the capacity that I'm not allowed to be the evil moderator, not that I wanted to see a cat explode.

I like cats.

Don't you try to crawl away now :O

 

[Ennui]

Don't you try to crawl away now :O

You just mad cuz you got served.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

EDIT: Ah here we go http://media.putfile.com/isnichwahradotdeadotcat

ROFL, I can't contain my laughter, its trying to swim

*Wipe's tear*

 

[jverne]

It's possible for a human to land safely on relativley hard ground from any height if they go about it properly.
Well i could at least, just bend my knees at the right time and i'd be fine.

well he's right to some point! lets say you're falling at terminal speed, when your feet would touch the ground you would need to stop in 0.05s to reach velocity 0.

hips height = 1m
terminal velocity = 36m/s (dont know exactly)
-----------------------------------------

***********
*** 0*****
***-| *****
** _| *****
**********
**********
-----------------

V^2=V0^2 - 2as
a=V0^2/2s= 648 m/s2

t=V/a=0.05 s

so if you have 1 meter long legs you would need to brake so hard that you'd stop in 0.05 s!

For example: your knees would have to sustain a force of 45360N!
picture yourself lying and a 4536 kg weight tied to your knees! that is a very large car!

If you weight 70kg, and to your knees is aprox. half the lenght of your feet, the whole force would be transmitted horizontaly to your knees!

F=m*a=45360N

**************
*****0********
*****-|*********
<--**/**********
*F**_\**********
--------------


of course this if very simplified but we are talking about high numbers nontheless!

 

[Ennui]

Hmm... ow.

 

[jmjneary]

this sort of thing has been proven on other things you could do it too. go get an ant drop it from a really high place onto a white mat so you can see it then drop it form like the roof still alive why because no matter how high an ant falls from it will not be killed

 

[Gorgon]

Yup.

A cat's terminal speed (the fastest it can fall due to air resistance) is about 60 mph, and it can land from that. So no matter how high you are, the cat might get slightly injured, but unless it's obese it'll live.

I told that to my friends at school and most of them are kind slow.

"Youre hella retarded, a cat wouldn't survive"
"Yes, it can only fall at a certain speed, and it can land from that speed, so why would it make a difference if he fell from 10m or 200m"
"CUZ ITS A LOT HIGHER STOOPID"

No, you see, the height doesn't kill whatever's falling, the speed at which it crashes into the ground kills it. We, unfortuneatly, cannot land skillfully like cats, and have about triple the terminal speed.

As a matter of fact, they did studies on cases of cats falling out of high rise buildings, and 95% of cats land safely from 7 or more stories. The percentage getting higher and higher as the stories go up (because the cats have time to recover from the fear they get of falling).

thats fooking impossible, I can't take this shit, unless someone proves it...

 

[OvA]

http://www.bonsaikitten.com/
Really cool site

Shamelessly stolen from other thread, where it was shamelessly stolen from ytmnd

 

[jverne]

thats fooking impossible, I can't take this shit, unless someone proves it...

an average cat has 3kg, its legs are aprox. 0.2m in lenght, falling with a terminal velocity of (60mph) 26.8 m/s.

a=v0^2/2s=1795 m/s^2
F=m*a=5386N (if it was one leg, but if spreads equaly on all four)=> 1346N per leg (knee), so such a cat would have to sustain 33,6kg weight per knee!

the number is quite smaller compared to a human so i belive it would survive but with severe injuries!

i forgot to mention that these numbers would be valid if it was a totaly hard surface where it lands...well concrete basicaly is...but if it would be something softer then it could survive easily!

 

[Glirk Dient]

This page on Nasa's website says otherwise.

From the link:


You can see that as weight increases, so does the terminal velocity, all other things being equal.

On the graphic they also come right out and say ...

I guess that's enough.

Still waiting to hear about that empirical evidence, guys. Who's gonna chuck their cat off a building already!

weight is calculated in to figure air resistance per se. 2 objects with the same coefficient of air resistance will fall at the same speed with 1 heavier object and 1 lights. Just because it is lighter does not mean it will fall slower. A paper clip will fall faster than say a parachute.

So weight does not = less or more terminal velocity. It is air resistance that determines that. Guess I should have cleared up what I meant about weight.

 

[jverne]

weight is calculated in to figure air resistance per se. 2 objects with the same coefficient of air resistance will fall at the same speed with 1 heavier object and 1 lights. Just because it is lighter does not mean it will fall slower. A paper clip will fall faster than say a parachute.

So weight does not = less or more terminal velocity. It is air resistance that determines that. Guess I should have cleared up what I meant about weight.

if you'd been in basic phys clas that would be the firs thing in dinamics you learn! terminal velocity is determined by air resistance, but a cat could have more resistance because of the way it spreads the legs and expand the are area below it!

 

[Glirk Dient]

if you'd been in basic phys clas that would be the firs thing in dinamics you learn! terminal velocity is determined by air resistance, but a cat could have more resistance because of the way it spreads the legs and expand the are area below it!

Yep...that is what I said in a previous post!

The fur also helps a lot. The hairs add A LOT of surface area and the air does not flow easily around the cat. Further increasing air resistance.

 

[jverne]

Yep...that is what I said in a previous post!

The fur also helps a lot. The hairs add A LOT of surface area and the air does not flow easily around the cat. Further increasing air resistance.

true, true!




i think the cat would survive, but in what condition i don't know!?

 

[Blackghost905]

well he's right to some point! lets say you're falling at terminal speed, when your feet would touch the ground you would need to stop in 0.05s to reach velocity 0.

hips height = 1m
terminal velocity = 36m/s (dont know exactly)
-----------------------------------------

***********
*** 0*****
***-| *****
** _| *****
**********
**********
-----------------


V^2=V0^2 - 2as
a=V0^2/2s= 648 m/s2

t=V/a=0.05 s

so if you have 1 meter long legs you would need to brake so hard that you'd stop in 0.05 s!

For example: your knees would have to sustain a force of 45360N!
picture yourself lying and a 4536 kg weight tied to your knees! that is a very large car!

If you weight 70kg, and to your knees is aprox. half the lenght of your feet, the whole force would be transmitted horizontaly to your knees!

F=m*a=45360N

**************
*****0********
*****-|*********
<--**/**********
*F**_\**********
--------------


of course this if very simplified but we are talking about high numbers nontheless!

Ok thanks, Next time I am falling from the fricken sky I will do that math

 

[Mutley]

What about dropping a badger? If it landed on its feet?

 

[Greatgat]

What about dropping a badger? If it landed on its feet?

IT WOULD EXPLODE.

 

[Stigmata]

<img snip>

Speaking of:

I was just thinking, if the buttered side of toast always lands on the ground first... What happens if you butter both sides of the toast? Do the competing buttered sides cause the toast's velocity to approach infinity?

 

[Mutley]

IT WOULD EXPLODE.

Jesus on a bicycle! Didn't think of that one.

 

[OvA]

IT WOULD EXPLODE.

Into an inexpicable internet phenomenon

 

[clarky003]

If someone put a funny ytmnd together, this could be the internet phenomenon.

 

[Greatgat]

If someone put a funny ytmnd together, this could be a the internet phenomenon.

Wow... I could be fad-worthy... Too bad I can't do YTMND's for shit.

 

[Sulkdodds]

rofl Greatgat

I was just thinking, if the buttered side of toast always lands on the ground first... What happens if you butter both sides of the toast? Do the competing buttered sides cause the toast's velocity to approach infinity?

I'm going to try this right now.