If I drop a penny from the empire state building, would it really put a hole in the sidewalk?
I have a bet with my friend that it will, but he's saying no way.
Answer
Nope! The penny’s mass is too small to reach a terminal velocity high enough to penetrate anything.
The MythBusters actually busted this myth in an episode of their show in 2003. They tried to get a penny to penetrate concrete, ballistics gel, etc., in many different ways, including firing the penny from a rifle! They also visited the Empire State Building and found that the updrafts and roofs of the lower floors would prevent a penny thrown from the top from even reaching the street.
Busted!!
Check out the video below to see their tests in action…
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