# Dropping a penny from the Empire State Building **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 21, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914 "2003-07-21T14:27:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914/42 "2003-09-03T17:56:55Z")
I did not state nor imply that Ireland is part of Great Britain: It most definitely is not. It is, however, part of the British Isles. As for the penny on the free-fall ride, it shouldn’t have stayed in place, but it might very well have fallen slower due to air resistance (a hand isn’t a perfect shield). Additionally, a reflex on the part of the rider may have resulted in it being thrown slightly upward when the ride started (muscles exerting a force on the arm to keep it horizontal despite gravity, all of a sudden no gravity, muscles lag in releasing the force), either of which could result in the appearance that the penny delayed falling. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914/43 "2003-09-03T18:18:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > **As for the penny on the free-fall ride, it shouldn’t have stayed in place, but it might very well have fallen slower due to air resistance (a hand isn’t a perfect shield).** But neither is an airplane, but I don’t travel slower than the airplane. As long as the penny stays in contact with the hand, it should be able to fall with the hand. Am I being set up? Is this where you come back and make some reference to air blowing through parts of my anatomy? > [@](#): > > \*\*Additionally, a reflex on the part of the rider may have resulted in it being thrown slightly upward when the ride started (muscles exerting a force on the arm to keep it horizontal despite gravity, all of a sudden no gravity, muscles lag in releasing the force), either of which could result in the appearance that the penny delayed falling. \*\* That was my first thought. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914/44 "2003-09-08T20:39:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mogadon \* > \*\*“Unless by “Brits” you mean “inabitants of the British Isles”, in which case some Brits do have cent …” > \*\* Shove ha’penny gov’nor? Crikey! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914/45 "2003-09-08T22:20:01Z")
> [@](#): > > But neither is an airplane, but I don’t travel slower than the airplane. As long as the penny stays in contact with the hand, it should be able to fall with the hand. No setup intended. But there’ll be air flowing around the hand, and that’ll result in air motion at the penny. It’s a turbulent effect and I’ll therefore volunteer to not try to figure out the exact effects, but it’ll do something. Especially since the penny is otherwise in free-fall, and the air will be the only force on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-a-penny-from-the-empire-state-building/189914.md?page=2)