. You can easily calculate this final speed, or the maximum speed limit. Because the final velocity is generated when the friction and gravity are equal in magnitude, in which case the two forces cancel each other out, a falling object falls to the g...
You can easily calculate this final speed, or the maximum speed limit. Because the final velocity is generated when the friction and gravity are equal in magnitude, in which case the two forces cancel each other out, a falling object falls to the ground at a constant speed.
Suppose a cat weighs 4 kg, is about 50 cm long and 15 cm wide. Based on these parameters, and then treating the cat as a cylinder, we can calculate that the cross-sectional area of the animal is 0.075 square meters. Finally, the final speed of the cat can be launched is 32.68 meters per second, which is equivalent to less than 120 kilometers per hour.
The final speed can be calculated based on the height of the cat's fall.
It can be seen from the figure that at the drop height of 100 meters, the cat's speed has reached 30 meters per second. Because cats have been observed to survive after falling from higher buildings (such as from the 32nd floor), they should survive a impact of 120 km/h. So, in theory, these animals may fall from any height they can imagine and survive.
Surviving cat bias?
But this calculation of cat fall speed limit cannot explain the observations of New York veterinarians: Why is cats more likely to survive when falling from a seventh floor or higher floor than when falling from a lower floor? After all, the speed of falling from a lower floor will be lower and the impact force will be smaller. One explanation is related to the experience of animals.
When the cat falls from a lower height, it will be weightless for a short period of time. Therefore, it will instinctively extend its legs under its body and put its limbs on the ground. However, this strategy fails when falling at high places: due to the uneven distribution of the animal's weight, aligning the legs below can cause serious injury.
And this difference may explain why below the seventh floor, survival rate decreases with the increase of height. When falling higher, the friction becomes obvious during the falling process. The veterinarian speculates that this way the cat no longer feels like it falls, it will feel relaxed and will not stretch its legs. Its weight distribution will be more even and its landing will be smoother, so it will have a greater chance of survival.
But there is a simpler explanation for this phenomenon - although it will be a bit frustrating for animal lovers. Veterinary findings may reflect the so-called survivor bias: If a cat falls from a high place and dies on the spot, the owner may not bother to go to the veterinary clinic. Therefore, the number of unreported deaths may be higher than the number of deaths recorded by medical personnel.
