Mythbusters: Penny Drop Name: ______________________________

1. What forces are acting on a penny that has been dropped from the Empire State Building?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. Draw a force diagram using the forces you just listed.

3. What does the term terminal velocity mean?

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

4. During the sky dive why would a penny have a different terminal velocity than a human?

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

5. Even though the penny has a high velocity why doesn’t it even break the skin and cause the person to bleed? (Think about the formula forces and momentum.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Draw the direction the wind blows at the Empire State Building.