Can you kill someone if you drop a coin off the eiffel tower?

Question

there's a agruement in my school, about a coin and the eiffel tower, most of them say "yes" but one person said "no", as I'm bored of this agruement, i just want the answer, to end it.

Answer 1

It denpends if its stuck to the bottom of a brick or something. It wouldn't kill them and it would have to be a cracking shot and not be face down but hit them with the edge of it

Answer 2

It's not true, in most cases. The coin would fall quite fast, true but it would reach a top speed (called terminal velocity) and getting hit wouldn't hurt any more than if someone had thrown it really hard.

Answer 3

No, it will not kill somebody. It is only small, will reach terminal velocity but will not have enough energy to kill.

Answer 4

Yes, but it really would have to be a very good shot.

Answer 5

Some Frenchman would probably put his hands up to surrender.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

In one episode of "MythBusters" they tried it, but concluded that it would be impossible unless there was no wind (and around something as high as the eiffel tower, there is almost always going to be wind).

With wind, the coin spins around sideways; giving it more surface area, and therefore more drag (which keeps it from reaching killing speed).

Answer 8

Yes if it's in their pocket

Answer 9

If it hits them in the right place then yes.

Answer 10

It does not have enough mass to kill someone at the speed it would be traveling when it would hit the person. They did something similar in a Mythbusters episode but from the Empire State Building.

Answer 11

Have you ever heard about dropping something from a distance, that the speed increases?  Well, it's the same from the Eiffel Tower... Even a pea could kill someone if it hits them in the 'right' place, but as of yet, it's not very common...  But yeah, it is true, and anyone who says otherwise really doesn't have a clue!!

Hope the arguement ends soon!! hehe!!

Answer 12

In theory an object will accelerate to a great speed, however, in reality there are other factors that reduce this effect (i.e. shape, cross winds, aerodynamic resistance) so the chances are negligible.

Answer 13

i dont  think it will kill any one but give them a bit of a headache that if it hits anyone the wind might blow it in a different directs

Answer 14

If they were looking up with their mouth open they could choke on it - so yes it must be possible - but it'd take one h**l of a shot.  I've still never managed it.

Answer 15

Yep, its the same off Blackpool tower.

Answer 16

No! They tested it out on Mythbusters a few weeks ago.

Answer 17

no it wont the coin will reach a thing called terminal velocity it reaches that off of a 10 storie building if you think a coin can kill you being dropd off a 10 storie building then ya it could but not it cant.

Answer 18

No

You would only kill yourself if you're still attached to the coin.

Answer 19

Only if it hits them  !!