Re: [Phys-L] real-world physics

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@csupomona.edu>]

I'm willing to admit that I wouldn't want to have any part of an event like that unless the stuntman had some way of braking his fall substantially below the otherwise expected 100+ mph terminal velocity.

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona

On Jun 6, 2012, at 4:54 AM, brian whatcott wrote:

> On 06/05/2012 08:36 AM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:
> > > I have been following the postings on this topic and am a little
> > > surprised at the derision heaped on Mythbusters. In this episode, do
> > > they ever claim to demonstrate that 4 inches of bubble wrap will
> > > protect a falling person? Do they actually demonstrate the opposite?
> I witnessed a stuntman dropping 1500 feet without a parachute: he used 
> the stunt equivalent of bubble wrap - stacked cardboard boxes. They were 
> stacked about ten feet high, its true, but I imagine this list would 
> poo-hoo this stunt on theoretical grounds if they had not witnessed the 
> circumstances.
>
> Come on, let's hear it for the impulse-momentum equation...    :-)
>
> Brian W
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@mail.phys-l.org
> http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l