Buzz
A penny falling from such a height would travel a considerable distance, but is it truly capable of causing a fatality?
Jan Cobb Photography Ltd/Getty ImagesMain Points to Consider
- A penny dropped from the Empire State Building is unlikely to be lethal because its lightweight and air resistance prevent it from reaching dangerous speeds.
- While the myth isn't entirely baseless—falling objects can indeed be hazardous or even deadly, particularly if they are heavy and dropped from significant heights—a penny doesn't fall into this category.
- Although being struck by a penny from such a height might cause minor discomfort, it wouldn't result in serious or fatal injuries.
There’s a popular story about someone tossing a penny from the Empire State Building’s observation deck while making a wish. In the tale, the penny strikes and kills a passerby below.
This is a classic urban myth—false but with a hint of truth.
Dropping a penny from the Empire State Building wouldn’t be fatal. A penny weighs just about a gram and tumbles as it falls. Despite the building being one of the tallest in the world, the penny’s light weight and air resistance prevent it from reaching dangerous speeds. While it might sting if it hit you, it wouldn’t cause serious harm.
The truth behind this myth lies in the potential danger of falling objects, even seemingly harmless ones. This is why construction workers wear hard hats. A 50-gram (1.8-ounce) bolt or nut falling from a height could cause severe injury or even death if it struck someone’s head directly.
To understand the potential damage, consider a bullet. A bullet typically weighs 5 to 10 grams and travels at speeds ranging from 800 to 2,000 miles per hour, depending on the gun and ammunition. A 44-caliber bullet, weighing around 9 grams and traveling at 1,000 miles per hour, carries about 300 foot-pounds of energy—more than enough to be lethal. Even a fraction of that energy could prove deadly.
A penny weighing 1 gram, when dropped from the Empire State Building, could accelerate to around 100 miles per hour. Upon impact, it would carry just under 1 foot-pound of energy, causing only minor discomfort.
A 50-gram nut or a roll of pennies of the same weight, falling from the Empire State Building, would descend approximately 1,000 feet. Without accounting for air resistance, it could reach speeds of about 250 miles per hour, generating roughly 100 foot-pounds of energy—enough to be lethal if it struck someone’s head. However, wearing a hard hat would likely prevent fatal injury.
