Can you kill a cockroach or a life form similar in size by throwing it from the (e.g.) 7th floor?

Question

Doesn't matter what species. Only smaller life form. Would it impact the same as a human-sized one?

Answer 1

One thing you might have to consider is surface area to volume ratio. As size increases, volume increases much more quickly than surface area. So a rhino or a person would drop like a stone (relatively). But a much smaller creature, like a bug, would catch more air because it's got so much surface (relatively).

Answer 2

What we are considering here is the IMPACT FORCE that would be felt by the falling body when it hits the ground. For simpler analysis, we will neglect air presence for air reduces the falling speed of most lighter objects (like cotton). Remember the equation Force = mass X acceleration, where mass of the object is multiplied to the acceleration (or deceleration for impact) of the object.

Normally weight is an example of Force where the weight (in Newtons) of an object is equal to mass(in kg) X gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/s²). But in Impact Force, the acceleration we are talking about is actually the deceleration of the object when the object collides and reduces its speed from some value up to zero instantaneously. But acceleration is defined as the [change in velocity] / [change in time]. And in impact, the change of velocity from something to zero is almost less than a 10th of a second, thus making the deceleration = [change in velocity] / [very small value eg: 0.02sec] = Very High Deceleration. With a very high deceleration, the Impact Force would also be high (due to their direct proportional relationship).

But we again assume that all objects you throw from the 7th floor receives the same deceleration impact when they hit the ground (w/ no air resistance considered), then the Impact Force would now depend solely on the mass of the falling object (as we consider the deceleration factor constant). So intuitively, objects with HIGHER MASS experience MORE Impact Force compared to objects with LESSER MASS (direct proportionality again).

Plus,bringing back the fact that lighter objects experience more air resistance, meaning they would fall with less velocity when thrown at the same height as with a heavy object, then that would lessen their Impact Force more! (As lesser change in velocity means lesser deceleration and would result in lesser Impact Force.)

PS: A cockroach shouldn't be considered as a 'free-falling' body since it can fly. But a wingless cockroach is a different story, you can apply this on them and expect they would receive lesser impact than you when you both fall from the 7th floor. Air resistance and mass favors them greatly over you. =P

Answer 3

No. Terminal velocity of small animals is slower due to the high surface area to volume ratio. Plus, their strength to weight ratio is higher due to the same scaling. Strength and air resistance scale as length squared, but weight scales as length to the third power. I've heard the 50-50 threshold for death from a fall of arbitrarily great height is about the size of a rat.

Answer 4

I like this question,
I have the same question since I was a children, but it seems to be impossible to kill cockroach from the 7th floor, and be no correct answer above.

Answer 5

Assuming it doesn't fly, the terminal velocity of a roach is much less than the terminal velocity of a human falling from that height. From previous analysis, it should be less than 20mph. If there is a breeze it may be even less, as roaches do get blown around easily.

Answer 6

I don't think so. Their body density is so much lower in comparison to a human. It would probably just start running as soon as it hit the ground unless it landed on its back.

Some people answered they would fly away. Most roaches do have wings but not all of them are capable of flight.

Answer 7

No it woudn't impact with the same force. But yes it would seem to cause an impact that could kill it.

Answer 8

I'm gonna guess no. it's terminal velocity due to its small size and light weight would not be high enough to kill it. a lizard however is more dense and so it terminal velocity would be high enough to cause damage and it doesn't have and exoskeleton.

Answer 9

I don't think so. Especially not a cockroach because it has wings and can fly.
But even if it had no wings, I don't think it would hurt it.
I prefer to kill them with my 9mm pistol, but then, that why my roof leaks.

Answer 10

No --- it all depends on it's terminal velocity;---- mass, size, shape to predict the impact