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falling peecicles


hammo1

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My friend and i were bored in our maths class and we wanted to figure out the terminal velocity of a frozen stick of pee 1cm in diameter and 40cm in length if it were falling from a plane 11km in the air... we are aware of how ridiculous this is but we just wanted to know so we could work out if it could kill someone and the answers we came up with were it either fell at 2cm per second or roughly 100 times the speed of light.

 

thanks

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How ?

We looked up a formula online but I'm pretty sure we messed it up.

I'm positive showing what calculations you used would contribute to a better discussion.

 

lol we can already invalidate the greater than c calcs.

Edited by Mordred
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My friend and i were bored in our maths class and we wanted to figure out the terminal velocity of a frozen stick of pee 1cm in diameter and 40cm in length if it were falling from a plane 11km in the air... we are aware of how ridiculous this is but we just wanted to know so we could work out if it could kill someone and the answers we came up with were it either fell at 2cm per second or roughly 100 times the speed of light.

 

thanks

So...seems urine trouble finding the terminal velocity

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I'm positive showing what calculations you used would contribute to a better discussion.

 

lol we can already invalidate the greater than c calcs.

this is the formula we tried to use...

 

V= sqr root of (2*m*g/p*A*C)

 

p= density

c=drag coefficient

a= projected area

g= gravity

m= mass

v= terminal velocity

 

of anyone could maybe show a solution with step by step working maybe i can understand.

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So...seems urine trouble finding the terminal velocity

 

...and for that you need a math whiz, obviously.

I'm positive showing what calculations you used would contribute to a better discussion.

 

lol we can already invalidate the greater than c calcs.

 

Please describe the effects of hurling a peecicle at the Earth from a plane at a fraction of c, say one quarter.

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My friend and i were bored in our maths class and we wanted to figure out the terminal velocity of a frozen stick of pee 1cm in diameter and 40cm in length if it were falling from a plane 11km in the air...

I don't think so there will be any significant differences than with piece of ice, with mentioned by you dimensions.

So why exactly analyzing pee, instead of simply, neutral to readers, ice chunk?

 

we are aware of how ridiculous this is but we just wanted to know so we could work out if it could kill someone and the answers we came up with were it either fell at 2cm per second or roughly 100 times the speed of light.

How did you get to such conclusion? Can you show math, step by step.

 

If there is no air (f.e. atmosphere-less planet with vacuum around), there is nothing to stop acceleration of failing object.

What equation is allowing to calculate it?

Then it's what you know is maximum, without any air/gas influence.

Result of your further equation, which includes influence of air/gas, must be smaller that above velocity.

 

ps. Wouldn't be better to start with sphere with radius r, than cylinder? Sphere will have at least constant "bottom" area, contacting with air below it while failing.

 

ps2. Did you convert units appropriately? Cylinder has dimensions in cm, while equation probably have it in meters. The same with density (typically it is in tables in g/cm3).

Edited by Sensei
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