# dropping a basketball off empire state building **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751 "2007-04-26T17:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/61 "2007-04-28T12:11:52Z")
[QUOTE=sinjin] You were close mamboman, it seems that it all ends in treis. [/QUOTE] I just wanted to let you know that this moment of brilliance did not go unnoticed. If the world was a fair and just place, yours would have been the last post to the thread. Bravo! ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/62 "2007-04-28T12:24:24Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Wait. You couldn’t just _drop_ a basketball from the empire state building: it’s tiered. [/QUOTE] You could if you were prepared. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/63 "2007-05-01T12:39:41Z")
Batman could drop a basketball off the Empire State Building and have it hit the ground? He really is prepared! ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_of\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/71c47a/32.png) [@Sock\_of\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_of_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/64 "2007-05-01T15:11:51Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Batman could drop a basketball off the Empire State Building and have it hit the ground? He really is prepared! [/QUOTE] What if Batman and Superman got in a fight about who could throw a basketball off the Empire State Building? The twist–what if the ball were made of Kryptonite?!? ---
**Author:** ![WorkInProgress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@WorkInProgress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WorkInProgress)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/65 "2007-05-01T15:58:01Z")
You guys are forgetting about the Chuck Norris factor. Could Chuck chuck-it? Would the tiered terrace tumble from his terrific toss? Man, I gots to know!! ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/66 "2007-05-01T17:02:37Z")
[QUOTE=WorkInProgress] You guys are forgetting about the Chuck Norris factor. Could Chuck chuck-it? Would the tiered terrace tumble from his terrific toss? Man, I gots to know!! [/QUOTE] If Chuck Norris was standing on the sidewalk at the bottom, the basketball would return to a greater height than it started from. (And further kudos to **sinjin** for that one!) ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/67 "2007-05-01T21:32:38Z")
On the grounds of Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, there was, and may still be, a bronze sculputure of a basketball at maximum deformation when hitting pavement after being dropped from 10,000 feet. Tried to find a picture on web. Perhaps someone with more google-fu could try. ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/68 "2007-05-01T21:43:13Z")
Here is is: [Basketball dropped from 35,000 feet, 1999](http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/5/James_Angus/53/33622/) ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/69 "2007-05-01T22:07:45Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Wait. You couldn’t just _drop_ a basketball from the empire state building: it’s tiered. [/QUOTE] Why not try the Sears Tower in Chicago? It’s not tiered, near as I can tell from photos of it. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/70 "2007-05-01T23:01:12Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] Why not try the Sears Tower in Chicago? It’s not tiered, near as I can tell from photos of it. [/QUOTE] Oh..so..what! Now we have to get into a friggin car and drive to friggin Chicago? grumble grumble.. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/71 "2007-05-01T23:32:54Z")
A basketball I doubt, but you could probably chuck a baseball far enough to get over those… what do you call it… tiers? ---
**Author:** ![Lately\_tho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cc9497/32.png) [@Lately\_tho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lately_tho)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/72 "2007-05-02T02:01:14Z")
Has anyone noticed that a basketball is made for bouncing, therefore it should bounce, and although the tiers may be impossible to miss, the ball will bounce from one tier to another and after clearing the last tier it will accelerate to the estimated terminal velocity, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/73 "2007-05-02T03:41:35Z")
King Kong didn’t bounce. Except off the tiers of course of course. But then again an ape isn’t a horse, however a horse is a horse of course of course. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/74 "2007-05-02T04:25:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ring] King Kong didn’t bounce. Except off the tiers of course of course. But then again an ape isn’t a horse, however a horse is a horse of course of course. [/QUOTE] Unless it’s Mr. Ed. Then it’s a zebra. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/75 "2007-05-02T05:25:23Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] Why not try the Sears Tower in Chicago? It’s not tiered, near as I can tell from photos of it. [/QUOTE] The [Sears Tower](http://www.ginpalacejesters.com/Searstower/tower4.jpg) is definitely tiered, perhaps you are thinking of the [Hancock building](http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/rprestia/1301/images/IN236bJohn%20hank%20Bldg.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/76 "2007-05-02T12:08:02Z")
[QUOTE=treis] The [Sears Tower](http://www.ginpalacejesters.com/Searstower/tower4.jpg) is definitely tiered, perhaps you are thinking of the [Hancock building](http://www.angelo.edu/faculty/rprestia/1301/images/IN236bJohn%20hank%20Bldg.jpg). [/QUOTE] If you set the ball to roll of the slope on the Hancock, would it still reach terminal velocity? Would it stay on the surface or bounce off? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/77 "2007-05-02T13:42:52Z")
> [@](#): > > You have your enough with your lame jokes? I prefer my enough on the side, and lame jokes as a main. > [@](#): > > Batman could drop a basketball off the Empire State Building and have it hit the ground? He really is prepared! I prefer my Batman prepared with fava beans and a nice Chianti. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/78 "2007-05-02T13:58:13Z")
[QUOTE=Lately tho..] Has anyone noticed that a basketball is made for bouncing, therefore it should bounce, and although the tiers may be impossible to miss, the ball will bounce from one tier to another and after clearing the last tier it will accelerate to the estimated terminal velocity, right? [/QUOTE] No. It’s tiers all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/79 "2007-05-02T14:20:41Z")
[QUOTE=citybadger] Here is is: [Basketball dropped from 35,000 feet, 1999](http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/5/James_Angus/53/33622/) [/QUOTE] Wow, how did the basketball turn white? Was that from the heat during reentry? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751/80 "2007-05-02T19:02:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] If you set the ball to roll of the slope on the Hancock, would it still reach terminal velocity? [/quote] Nope, only a portion of gravity goes into accelerating the ball. [QUOTE=Sapo] Would it stay on the surface or bounce off? [/QUOTE] I’d imagine that the Hancock building has windows and such that protrude a bit. Once the ball hits one of those it will start bouncing a bit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-basketball-off-empire-state-building/401751.md?page=5)