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Research question - Forensic - Impact of body in ground
Hello, I was wondering whether anybody knows, or could point me in the direction of a source, with regards to the follwing question:
If a person falls out of an aircraft in free fall (i.e. without a parachute) and hits the ground (in particular relatively soft pasture), how deep an impact will the body make?
Many thanks
Piet
Comments
No doubt there's some mathematical formula.
The weight of something does not govern how long it takes to hit the ground. Unless it had surface area and was light, like a piece of paper or a feather... but two bodies would fall at the same rate.
I mean if someone put heavy weights in your pocket and pushed you out along with an equally sized person without weights, would it make no difference whatsoever?
Oh, where's the quote button?
The force of the impact is the result of the amount of deceleration (i.e. from terminal velocity to nothing) which will depend on the speed at which the body is falling, and how quickly it comes to a stop (v.quickly on tarmac, not as quickly on deep snow!)
The force of the impact and the softness of the surface will determine the depth of the landing.
None of that really answers your question, Piet. Sorry. But as you don't have to be specific as to how soft the pasture is, I think you have a fairly free range. There is more info/case studies here that might help.
http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/6/1/62.3.long
http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/carkeet.html
This may help your research Piet Miller
http://www.mcm.edu/academic/galileo/ars/arshtml/galileo1.html
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