How to Calculate Force of Impact

The force exerted by two or more bodies at the time of collision is known as the force of impact. In order to calculate the force of impact, you should know how far the object has traveled after the impact. The force of impact will be higher if the object bounces back after hitting a harder ground. Follow a few simple steps to calculate the force of impact of a falling object.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Write down the following formula:

   V= √2*h*g

   This is the basic formula for calculating the velocity (V) of a falling object. The variable "h" represents the height from which the object is dropped to the ground. The height should be measured in meters. The variable "g" represents the pull of gravity. Use simple algebra to solve the above formula.

2. Calculate the kinetic energy (K.E) with the help of the following formula:

   K.E= 1/2 (m*V^2)

   Variable "m" represents the mass of the falling object. Solve the above formula by substituting the value of velocity calculated in the previous step. The resultant value of kinetic energy will be represented in joules.

3. Solve the following formula for calculating the force of impact (F):

   F= K.E/D

   The variable "D" represents the distance traveled by the object during impact. The value obtained will be represented in newtons.

References

• Live Physics: Impact Force from Falling Object
• Georgia State University: HyperPhysics

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish