Do you get more wet if you run or walk (the same distance) in the rain?

Question

My father has long debated this question with me. I wanna see it proven...

My dad says that walking you get less wet. I think it's impossible because if you are in the rain for 30 secs (versus 3 mins) you are obviously going to get less wet. He tried to tell me that myth busters proved he was right, but i never saw that episode, so I couldn't concede...

Answer 1

If you think about it, it has to do with how much more surface area you are giving the rain, which depends upon your shape.

This is proof that nature is laughing at us all. Why?

Those who are thin, athletic types (those likely to run) will get a LOT more area from running, so they should walk to not get wet.

Those who are rounded in figure only add less area when they run, so they ought to run. in fact, the more round the figure, the more they should run!

Which is why nature has a hearty laugh at us - the skinny people run, the not-skinny people walk, and each gets more wet!

:)

Hope that helped. :)

Answer 2

The next time you are driving along in the rain, pay attention to the amount of raindrops hitting the window at two different times:
1) when you are sitting at a traffic light or otherwise stopped.
2) While driving along.
You tend to get more wet by running since you run into rain drops that would have fallen to the ground in front of you, but instead you ran into them before they hit the ground.

Answer 3

You will get more wet by running because you are running into the raindrops falling in front of you, as well as the ones falling on top of your head. When you walk, mainly just your head gets wet, unless its windy. As the the time elapsed, the amoount of rain that hits you compared to when you are walikng more than makes up for the time saved running

Answer 4

Jeez, It's hard to say, I've written and then erased the answer both ways. On one hand, you can get wet faster because you're running into droplets already on their way to the floor, so.. yeah, they get on your clothes instead of fall to the ground. And since rain falls down, I think you'd get wetter by running. But then again! if you walk slowly, then you still get very wet because of the time factor. I think it depends on the wind, how far it is, and the amount of rain already on the ground. what kind of ground, is it grass, or asphalt which bounces off the droplets.

Answer 5

I think you will get more wet when you walk because you will be exposed to rain longer (walking than running the same distance) thus more rain can hit you when you walk than when you run

Answer 6

Apparently if you run in the rain you will get wetter then just walking........ well, that is what the guys from the show Myth busters said. :)

Good luck in the debate.

Answer 7

you will get wet more walking than running. Because the fact when you run you take more steps than walking. and when you run half of the rain drops will miss you. When you walk more drops will hit you.

Answer 8

Mythbusters answered this question. They came to the conclusion that initally walking picked up less water, but later tests proved running actually picked up less than walking (same distance)

Answer 9

by running you cach the rain drop
and walking makes u less wet.

Answer 10

I think it also depends whether the distance travelled is finite or not.

Obviously, if you want to go to a cornerstore during rain, it's wiser to run there rather than walk.