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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6288775" data-attributes="member: 6669384">If we took the simple rule, in feet per second per second, it would track like this...Second 1 - Fall 32 per second, total 32 feetSecond 2 - Fall 64 per second, total 96 feetSecond 3 - Fall 96 per second, total 192 feetSecond 4 - Fall 128 per second, total 320 feetSecond 5 - Fall 160 per second, total 480 feetSecond 6 - Fall 192 per second, total 672 feetThat is very simplistic, of course.&nbsp; You actually fall a bit less distance, because you should use the average speed for that second, not the final speed.&nbsp; Additionally, it ignores wind resistance, aka &quot;terminal velocity&quot;.Terminal velocity varies based on the density and shape of the thing falling.&nbsp; A human body (without armor), falling limp, tops out at about 128 mph.&nbsp; In the skydiver's spread, it's about 96 mph.&nbsp; Headfirst, diver's mode (as the man who dove from near orbit did at first) will top out at over 200.A house cat, on the other hand, tends to pull himself into a skydiver's spread instinctively, and tops out at under 60 mph.&nbsp; A cat can fall from nearly any distance (presuming it has time to orient itself) with well over a 60% chance of survival, and presuming survival, over a 90% chance of walking away with little more than strained or sore muscles from the way it extends its legs at the last moment to absorb the impact.To convert Miles per Hour to Feet per Second, multiply by 1.5 (it's actually 1.46666, but 1.5 is an easy approximation).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 6288775, member: 6669384"] If we took the simple rule, in feet per second per second, it would track like this... Second 1 - Fall 32 per second, total 32 feet Second 2 - Fall 64 per second, total 96 feet Second 3 - Fall 96 per second, total 192 feet Second 4 - Fall 128 per second, total 320 feet Second 5 - Fall 160 per second, total 480 feet Second 6 - Fall 192 per second, total 672 feet That is very simplistic, of course. You actually fall a bit less distance, because you should use the average speed for that second, not the final speed. Additionally, it ignores wind resistance, aka "terminal velocity". Terminal velocity varies based on the density and shape of the thing falling. A human body (without armor), falling limp, tops out at about 128 mph. In the skydiver's spread, it's about 96 mph. Headfirst, diver's mode (as the man who dove from near orbit did at first) will top out at over 200. A house cat, on the other hand, tends to pull himself into a skydiver's spread instinctively, and tops out at under 60 mph. A cat can fall from nearly any distance (presuming it has time to orient itself) with well over a 60% chance of survival, and presuming survival, over a 90% chance of walking away with little more than strained or sore muscles from the way it extends its legs at the last moment to absorb the impact. To convert Miles per Hour to Feet per Second, multiply by 1.5 (it's actually 1.46666, but 1.5 is an easy approximation). [/QUOTE]

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