Wednesday, August 09, 2006
tissues at 30.86 miles per hour
I was beginning to suspect that I couldn't throw a box of tissues 30 miles/hour. (See this blog) I needed to confirm that tissues can't kill a person, so if I ever go to another defensive driving class, I can tell the instructor he is full of more shit than a composting toilet.
So, I threw a box of tissues in front of my cubical at work, and found that I could throw them about 25 feet. (see picture below with measuring tape and tissues at far end)
Now, to calculate how fast I threw them, I ignored air resistance. There probably would have been a fair amount of air resistance because of the mass/surface area ratio, and the fact that earth has an atmosphere. Of course there really is air resistance and if there wasn't, I would have thrown them further. This calculation will fudge on the side of showing a slower speed than what was actually thrown.
anyway, I calculated that the time they were in the air was .57 seconds (x=.5at^2). Using that time and the distance I threw them, I found my throwing velocity to be 14.91 m/s (x=vt), which converts to, GET THIS, 30.86 miles/hour!
I am pretty sure If I hit someone with them, they would just be slightly annoyed. The only damage that I could see it doing is if I hit someone with the corner of the box, in their eye.
I asked the foreign guy (who can't speak english) across the room to allow me to hit him with the tissue box. He just polietly nodded, smiled, and said "yes" like he always does.
I think I will wait until he doesn't see me coming so I can hit him in the face. I will let you know if he dies.
So, I threw a box of tissues in front of my cubical at work, and found that I could throw them about 25 feet. (see picture below with measuring tape and tissues at far end)
Now, to calculate how fast I threw them, I ignored air resistance. There probably would have been a fair amount of air resistance because of the mass/surface area ratio, and the fact that earth has an atmosphere. Of course there really is air resistance and if there wasn't, I would have thrown them further. This calculation will fudge on the side of showing a slower speed than what was actually thrown.
anyway, I calculated that the time they were in the air was .57 seconds (x=.5at^2). Using that time and the distance I threw them, I found my throwing velocity to be 14.91 m/s (x=vt), which converts to, GET THIS, 30.86 miles/hour!
I am pretty sure If I hit someone with them, they would just be slightly annoyed. The only damage that I could see it doing is if I hit someone with the corner of the box, in their eye.
I asked the foreign guy (who can't speak english) across the room to allow me to hit him with the tissue box. He just polietly nodded, smiled, and said "yes" like he always does.
I think I will wait until he doesn't see me coming so I can hit him in the face. I will let you know if he dies.
# posted by fooiemcgoo : 8:20 AM
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you know, you can determine what the air resistance is by doing a drop test and timing it over a measurable distance. by doing this, you can get a approximation of what the wind resistance is and integrate it into your analysis.
but that leads to the next possiblity. if you take your balistics equation you can get an idea of how far something has to fall to reach 30 mph. then add in a little extra to compensate for wind resistance going down. lets say its 120 feet. find a building that tall and drop a box of tissues on a passerby. if he/she doesnt die, they you have proven your case.
but that leads to the next possiblity. if you take your balistics equation you can get an idea of how far something has to fall to reach 30 mph. then add in a little extra to compensate for wind resistance going down. lets say its 120 feet. find a building that tall and drop a box of tissues on a passerby. if he/she doesnt die, they you have proven your case.
# posted by 
: 11:07 AM
: 11:07 AM
i was talking about wind resistance in the horizontal dim.
I think i should be able to tease it out the same way. I am not going to, though.
either way, you can't die by tissue box.
I think i should be able to tease it out the same way. I am not going to, though.
either way, you can't die by tissue box.
wind resistance is the same no matter which direction you are going. the difference between the no resistance fall time and the real fall time can be quantified as wind resistance. and since you know that it varies w/ the square of speed, you can quite easily "tease" it out of the data. you can then apply it to your horizontal movement. while the ideal way is to do all this thru some diferential equations, i dont remember dif-eq very well, so if it were me, i would do a quasi-static analysis using excel and step it thru time using small incriments.
i suggest that you take the time to do this analysis. you can then explain your results to your driving instructor by wrapping it around a brick and delivering thru the bedroom window of his house. that will make everything better.
i suggest that you take the time to do this analysis. you can then explain your results to your driving instructor by wrapping it around a brick and delivering thru the bedroom window of his house. that will make everything better.
# posted by : 5:17 AM
: 5:17 AM
just wait till harvest homecoming and take a box with u to the baseball booth and ask them to see how fast u throw it with the radar gun
# posted by : 6:31 AM
: 6:31 AM
The Myth Busters came to the same conclusion (ref: Episode #36, "Killer Tissue Box"):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(season_2)#Episode_36_.E2.80.94_.22Killer_Tissue_Box.22
Having said that, somewhere, sometime in the history of the world, someone has probably been maimed by a flying box of tissues.
Speaking of unlikely projectiles, did you know that over 150 people world-wide die from falling coconuts? The number of coconut-related deaths exceeds the number of shark-related deaths by a ratio of 15:1. Its true.
-K.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_(season_2)#Episode_36_.E2.80.94_.22Killer_Tissue_Box.22
Having said that, somewhere, sometime in the history of the world, someone has probably been maimed by a flying box of tissues.
Speaking of unlikely projectiles, did you know that over 150 people world-wide die from falling coconuts? The number of coconut-related deaths exceeds the number of shark-related deaths by a ratio of 15:1. Its true.
-K.
wow. that must mean that the "death by kleenex" is a well-known myth. i thought it was just this defensive driving fella that claimed this.
I have heard that the shark-attack media sensation was way-overblown. Regardless, I will watch out for falling coconuts.
I have heard that the shark-attack media sensation was way-overblown. Regardless, I will watch out for falling coconuts.
i think it would be a cool superhero ability to be able to figure that kind of thing out by looking at something.
I guess what i am saying is that i htink that cop might have been a superhero.
I guess what i am saying is that i htink that cop might have been a superhero.
I think bullseye could do that. i mean, in the comics i think he would pick up anythign and make it deadly.
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