"Roy" wrote in message
...
I have heard on numerous occasion that a penny thrown off the top
observation tower of thr Empire State building can hit the ground with
enough force to crack a 6" concrete slab. I used to believe this
statement when I was a kid, but have a hard time buying it as fact
now. I just can't see it being fact, and see it more of an old wives
type tale. I don;t really think you could throw a penny that hard and
far enough to make it reach out sufficiently to clear the lower floors
stepped out structure anyhow.


A month or so ago, the MythBusters on the Discovery Channel tested the penny
legend and determined that the terminal velocity of a penny tossed off the
Empire state Bldg was about 60 MPH, as I recall. There is not enough
kinetic energy in a penny at that speed to do much damage.

Randy