A question i just dont get?

Question

You have a 10 pound weight and a 150 pound person.
If you drop the 10 pound weight on your hand from 4 feet it will hurt maybe even break your hand
If som1 jumped on your hand nothing will happend just hurt. Why is the 10 pound weight feel heavier when it falls?

Answer 1

The person jumping on your hand does less damage because the impact is more cushioned. The force transmitted by an impact depends on how rapidly the impacting object is decelerated (slowed down). This is why we use cushioning to pack things for shipment.

When the person lands on your hand, there are three things happening that don't happen with the weight. First, shoes are a lot softer than an iron weight, and will give a little bit when it hits. When the weight hits, the only thing that gives is your hand. Second, Because the shoe and foot are flexible, they even out the load so that it is distributed over a wider area. The first bit of the weight that hits you transmits the full force of the impact to whatever little bone in your hand it happens to run into. Third, the guy jumping is going to let his legs flex to absorb some of the impact. This spreads the energy of the impact out over time, so the maximum force on your hand is a lot lower than if it had to absorb the impact all at once.

Answer 2

The user above is correct. If there is a larger surface area, that allows the weight to be distrubuted more evenly, and so all the weight won't be in one spot. Take for example, snow shoes. They have a large surface area so that the weight of your body gets distrubted across the shoes. That way, there's less weight in one spot and so you don't sink. The same idea applies with the weight and the foot. A larger surface area allows for a more spread out weight distribution and therefore less pain in one spot (simply put).

Answer 3

I didn't ask this question, but I'm glad I read the answers ... it's similar to the experiment on the science show on television, about how if you put a balloon on a single nail, and put a brick on it, the balloon will burst.
If you place the balloon on a "bed" of nails, and put a weight on it, it will not burst, because of the balloon isn't putting the majority of the weight/brick in just one place (on one nail), but distributing it over the entire bed of nails.

I like the reasons and examples given by each of you!

Answer 4

if somebody jumped from 4 foot with hobnail boots on...you would feel it as much....
it is down to weight divided by surface area of contact and density of material