How fast does a penny have to travel to pierce a watermelon?

                         


1.  Background Story:

How fast does a penny have to travel to pierce watermelon? I chose this because it would be cool to see if it could pierce a watermelon?





2.  Ask Yourself This:

How much does a new penny way?
How fast does a penny drop in 2ft?
How much force does it take to put a penny in a watermelon?
What does it take to crush a watermelon?


3.  Helpful Hints:


A penny that was made after 1982 will weigh 2.5grams. "reference.com"


A 1-gram penny falling from the Empire State Building might reach 100 miles per hour. It has a little less than 1 foot-pound of energy when it hits.   "howstuffworks.com"





It takes a penny .4secs to fall 2feet. I know this because in math class me and hunt took a yard stick and timed how long it takes to hit the bottom from 24in.

It takes 12 pounds of force to crush a watermelon.











4.  Construct a Formula:  12lbs x 1454'= to pierce.  If it takes 12lbs to crush a watermelon, and when a penny falls from a hight of 1454' (Empire State) it get 1 pound of force, so 12divided by 1=12 then 12 x 1454







5.  Messy Math: 12lbs x 1454'=17448'









6.  Answer: It takes a penny to fall 17,448' to peirce watermelon. That's like as long tall as the empire state building TIMES 12!