Damage from a falling water bomb

[LewPaper]

Just a query. If a plastic bag, say the size of a sandwich bag, full of water was dropped from the 10th floor and it hit someone, how much damage do you think it could cause? I'm only asking as it happened to me some years ago when visiting a troublesome family in a block of flats. Fortunately it missed, but it was a near thing and I was wondering if it'd hit would I still be here to pose the question?

[Count-A-Strong]

was it sealed or open?

[LewPaper]

Hiya Count. I think it was open.

[Count-A-Strong]

Ah well, if it was open then it would have done very little damage as the water would have been forced back up through the opening on impact with your bonce.

[LewPaper]

Yeh, that sounds reasonable.

[McMouse]

In the middle of winter it could freeze solid on the way down............now that would be nasty.

[TheOtherHalf]

Surely if it were open the water would come out as it was falling ?falling things dont always stay upright (apart from moggies ) especially in a flimsy bag ?
Anyway, you would probably have had water on the brain and you would have to have a tap on the head

[jomifl]

Wouldn't it depend on what floor the victim was standing upon?

[jomifl]

Are you sure it was water.

[LewPaper]

I certainly hope it was. Another good reason it missed.

[kermit911]

Look at it this way, lets say a sandwich bag full of water weighs 3-5 pounds. Now lets say that it was dropped about 130 feet. Give or take that is about 10 stories depending on ceiling height and so on. Since it is water and not a 5 pound brick, it will do less damage, the energy behind the bag of water will disperse in many different directions, but your talking about some serious damage if the bag hold together on impact. That's my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

[Prudie]

Dropping water bombs from the towers was standard student practice in my day, mostly pride was hurt i think if they hit someone.

[sandyRoe]

Ian Duncan Smith, while serving with the Scots Guards in Derry, had a plastic carrier bag full of pee dropped on his head. Don't think it was responsible for his baldness, though.

[rov1200]

Force(Newtons) = mass x acceleration
where a=32ft/s/s

[jomifl]

I think you could work out the force exerted using a vector diagram. As the water will be diverted sideways by you head there will still be a resultant downward force. Although there probably wouldn't be any bruising as the force would be distributed over a large area, the acceleration to your head might be enough to break your neck. If I get around to doing the calculations I will post them up in AB.