Re: long and short

[Tim Folkerts <tfolkert@FHSU.EDU>]

> In the November Scientific American on p. 28, Thomas Samaras is referenced
as claiming
> that a person 20% taller than another, in falling over will hit the ground
with 210% more
> kinetic energy than the shorter person.

Actually, assuming a slight misstatement of the result and a simple but
questionable assumption, it is fairly straight forward

20% taller => 20% bigger all around  [ i.e. the questionable assumption]
           => (1.2x taller) * (1.2x wider) * (1.2x thicker) = 1.78 times
heavier

Also, the CM is 1.2 times higher, so PE = (1.78m) g (1.2h) = 2.07 mgh

So, if  KE(final) = PE(initial) we have ~210% times the original KE {which
is NOT 210% more KE, it's just 110% more}.

Tim Folkerts