If a Coin Falls from the empire states building and hits someone can it kill?

Question

I mean yeah, if you accidentally drop a coin from the empire states building and it hits someone can it kill? Like the acceleration stuff and all lol i mean its pretty high @.@

Answer 1

Basically, no. It would accelerate to a terminal velocity but it would not be going fast enough to inflict a fatal injury. The result would be no different to, say, a baseball pitcher throwing a coin at a person - it could injure them but would not kill them.

From Wikipedia:

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.

Answer 2

No.  Mythbusters actually did this.  And the myth was busted.

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

Answer 3

it can hurt, but i seriously doubt it can kill :) maybe if it hits you and you panic and fall on the road where a bus runs you over =)

Answer 4

No, the coin does not have enough mass to accelerate to a lethal velocity, it would hurt a lot, but unless the person had some pre-existing brain condition, it would not kill.

Plus the Mythbusters tested this myth and busted it, they also noticed that updrafts from the building might not allow the coin to accelerate to it's terminal velocity anyway.

Answer 5

its terminal velocity isn't actually high enough to break the skull and cause a fatal injury, and the maximum velocity it can reach given its height of 381m is vf^2 = vi^2 + 2ax = 0 + 2*10*381 = 7620 and max v = 88m per second. in comparison a bullet from a pistol travels at ~ 320ms,

around four times the coins speed, and in turn for a similar mass only 1/16 the energy, also bullets are shaped for maximum penetration and damage, a coin is not. because it is slower and has so much less energy it wont do anywhere near as much damage. while it would not be wise to drop a coin from any height, it will be very unlikely to cause death on impact.

Answer 6

Maybe, if it hits someone on the head, but it got to be a pretty heavy coin or a marble. Then, there's this thing about terminal velocity, like, some thing can't fall any faster once it reaches a certain speed, hmm, did you hear that one about some window cleaners falling of a tall building & the guy who's buckled to the scaffolding didn't die? During the WWII, there was an airman who had to jump out of his burning plane at 20,000 feet without a parachute, landed on the snow after hitting the trees, he survive with broken limbs, was captured & later certified by the German officer about his miraculous feat.

Answer 7

Yeah, it would go through the whole body and leave a crater in the ground.

Answer 8

I don't think so

The acceleration an object gets from the height is not that big

Think about rain drops, they drop from a higher place than the place you suggest

I think there is some theory for this, that due to the objects shape it do not accelerate all the way or something like that

Can't remember it

You sould refer the Wikipedia  

Answer 9

Almost makes you want to drop one and find out, huh? lol...(JK!)

Answer 10

It can kill you yes. When you drop a coin or any small metal object, it can travel at a great speed and can pierce anything that it goes through(If given enough speed).

Answer 11

Yes!

Answer 12

yes because it falls from a great velocity

Answer 13

RichB is exactly right and many times the penny wouldn't even get to 65 mph.  Updrafts and crosswinds cause the penny to tumble and lose speed.

Answer 14

no. every object falling in an atmosphere or any sort of medium has a terminal velocity. eventually the pressure pushing up on them from the atmosphere equals the pressure pushing down, so they stop accelerating.

even if that didnt happen, theres no way a penny would kill someone.

Answer 15

yes  it  could  if  the  coins  made  of  lead  and   theres  no atmosphere to resist acc.. due to  gravity .  otherwise,  it  will  really hurt  you....but wonrt kill.