When you fall from a height, a small roof for example, what softens your fall more? A matress lying on the floor or one up in the air (different possibilities, 4’/10cm, 7″/2m, at jump level) i.e. held up by two people?

Question

When you fall from a height, a small roof for example, what softens your fall more? A matress lying on the floor or one up in the air (different possibilities, 4’/10cm, 7″/2m, at jump level) i.e. held up by two people?

In: Physics

Answer 1

One held up will soften the fall more. “Softening the fall” means reducing the acceleration you experience when you hit the ground. Acceleration is change in velocity / time. The mattress being held up will reduce this in two ways. One, decreasing the velocity: you will be moving more slowly when you hit it, since you fell for a shorter distance. Two, increasing the time: you will be slowing down as the people absorb the force with their arms and lower the mattress AND as you compress the mattress, instead of just compressing the mattress.