MythBusters Penny Drop MiniMyth YouTube

SLDavey

2 Oct 201203:42

Summary

TLDRIn this MythBusters episode, Adam and Jamie investigate the myth that a penny dropped from a great height, like the Empire State Building, could kill someone or embed itself in concrete. They determine a penny's terminal velocity to be around 65 mph, which is not enough to penetrate concrete or asphalt. Even at nearly three times the speed of sound, the penny fails to cause severe injury, debunking the myth that it could be lethal or embed in a person's skull.

Takeaways

🏙️ The myth is about the potential danger of throwing a penny off the Empire State Building.
🔍 Adam and Jamie investigate the maximum speed of a penny in free fall, known as terminal velocity.
🎯 They use a modified staple gun to simulate the penny's terminal velocity and test its impact on various materials.
🏗️ The penny, fired at 65 mph, does not penetrate concrete or asphalt, disproving the myth of it embedding into concrete.
🧠 A ballistics dummy named Norma is used to test the impact on human-like flesh and bone.
🤕 The penny, even at terminal velocity, does not shatter the skull of the dummy, indicating it's not lethal.
🤲 Adam and Jamie test the impact of the penny on human skin, and it does not cause significant harm.
🚫 Even when the penny is shot at nearly three times the speed of sound, it does not embed into the block or break bones.
👀 The only potential harm mentioned is if someone were to be hit directly in the eye while looking up.
💥 The myth that a penny falling from a great height could be dangerous is conclusively busted.

Q & A

What is the myth associated with throwing a penny from the Empire State Building?
-The myth is that if you throw a penny off the Empire State Building at its height, it will either embed itself in the concrete at the base of the building or hit someone in the head and kill them.
What is the term for the maximum speed a penny can achieve when falling?
-The term for the maximum speed a penny can achieve when falling is 'terminal velocity'.
What did Adam and Jamie use to determine the terminal velocity of a penny?
-Adam and Jamie used a modified staple gun to shoot a penny at concrete, asphalt, and a head made from ballistics gel to determine the terminal velocity.
What was the terminal velocity of the penny as measured by the rig?
-The terminal velocity of the penny as measured by the rig was approximately 65 mph.
Did the penny penetrate the concrete or asphalt when shot at terminal velocity?
-No, the test showed that a coin traveling at terminal velocity could not penetrate concrete or asphalt.
What did the MythBusters use to simulate a human head for the experiment?
-The MythBusters used a ballistics dummy named Norma with a cranium made of ballistics gel to simulate a human head.
What was the outcome when the penny traveling at terminal velocity hit the ballistics dummy's head?
-The penny broke through the thin layer of ballistics gel but the skull (head) remained intact, indicating no severe damage.
How fast was the penny traveling when it hit Adam's hand?
-The penny was traveling at 64 mph when it hit Adam's hand.
What was the result of the penny hitting Adam's hand at 64 mph?
-The penny left an imprint but did not cause any significant harm or pain to Adam's hand.
What was the speed of the penny when it was shot almost three times the speed of sound?
-The high-speed camera recorded the penny's speed at almost three times the speed of sound, which is approximately 3,000 ft per second.
Did the penny cause any damage to the concrete block when shot at high speed?
-Even when the penny was shot at almost three times the speed of sound, it did not embed itself in the concrete block.
What was the final conclusion of the MythBusters about the penny myth?
-The MythBusters concluded that the myth was busted, as neither terminal velocity nor speeds almost three times the speed of sound were enough to cause significant harm or death to a person.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Debunking the Penny Drop Myth

The myth investigated in this video script involves the potential dangers of dropping a penny from a great height, such as the Empire State Building. The hosts, Adam and Jamie, aim to determine if a penny could reach terminal velocity and cause harm upon impact. They conduct experiments using a modified staple gun to fire a penny at various materials including concrete, asphalt, and a ballistics gel head to simulate a human skull. The results show that even at speeds of 65 mph, the penny does not penetrate concrete or asphalt. When fired at the ballistics gel, the penny only breaks the surface layer without causing significant damage. The hosts then test the impact on human skin, with one of them catching the penny at 64 mph, which leaves an imprint but does not cause severe harm. They conclude that the myth is busted, as the penny, even at high speeds, is not dangerous enough to cause serious injury or death.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is an iconic skyscraper in New York City, known for its height and status as a symbol of American ingenuity and architectural achievement. In the video, it serves as the setting for the myth that a penny dropped from its height could cause significant harm due to its high terminal velocity.

💡Myth

A myth is a widely held but false belief or story. In the context of the video, the myth refers to the popular belief that a penny dropped from a great height, such as the Empire State Building, could be dangerous due to its speed upon impact.

💡Terminal Velocity

Terminal velocity is the maximum speed that an object reaches when falling through a fluid medium, like air, without any propulsion. In the video, Adam and Jamie investigate the terminal velocity of a penny to determine its maximum speed during free fall, which is crucial to testing the myth.

💡Penny

A penny is a one-cent coin that has been a part of the United States currency since 1793. In the video, the penny is the subject of the myth being tested, with the hosts exploring what happens when it is dropped or shot at high speeds.

💡Concrete

Concrete is a composite material made of cement, sand, and gravel. It is used as a building material for its strength and durability. In the video, the hosts test whether a penny at terminal velocity can penetrate concrete, which is part of the myth's claim.

💡Asphalt

Asphalt, also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black substance used for road surfacing and roofing. It is softer than concrete but still relatively hard. The video includes an experiment to see if a penny at terminal velocity can damage asphalt.

💡Ballistics Gel

Ballistics gel is a gelatin-based substance used to simulate the properties of human flesh in impact tests. In the video, a head made from ballistics gel is used to test the myth that a penny could cause fatal injury upon impact.

💡Velocity

Velocity is a vector quantity that refers to the speed of an object in a specific direction. The video discusses the velocity of a penny in free fall and its impact on the myth's validity, with experiments conducted to measure the penny's speed.

💡Staple Gun

A staple gun is a tool that uses compressed air or mechanical force to drive staples into materials. In the video, a modified staple gun is used to fire a penny at high speeds to simulate the conditions of the myth.

💡Speed of Sound

The speed of sound is the distance that a sound wave travels per second in a given medium. In the video, the hosts mention that the penny is shot at almost three times the speed of sound, emphasizing the extreme velocity at which the penny travels.

💡High-Speed Camera

A high-speed camera is a device capable of capturing images at a much higher frame rate than the normal eye can see. In the video, a high-speed camera is used to record the impact of the penny at high velocities, providing detailed visual evidence of the results.

💡Impact

Impact refers to the force exerted by an object when it collides with another object. The video investigates the impact of a penny at terminal velocity on various materials to determine if it could cause harm or damage, which is central to the myth being tested.

Highlights

Myth about a penny thrown from the Empire State Building causing harm.

Experiment to determine a penny's maximum speed and its terminal velocity.

Use of a modified staple gun to simulate the penny's fall.

Penny fired at a concrete block at 65 mph.

Results show terminal velocity of a penny is at the upper level of studies.

Terminal velocity not enough to penetrate concrete or asphalt.

Ballistics dummy named Norma used to test the impact on human flesh.

Penny does not shatter the skull of the dummy at terminal velocity.

Adam and Jamie volunteer to test the impact of a penny on human skin.

Penny leaves an imprint but does not cause significant harm at 64 mph.

Experiment with a penny traveling at almost three times the speed of sound.

High-speed camera reveals the penny's speed at 3,000 ft per second.

Even at high speeds, the penny does not embed in the block or break bones.

The myth is busted as the penny does not cause severe harm.

Theoretical consideration of a penny hitting someone in the eye.

Conclusion that the myth is busted, with no significant harm caused by a falling penny.