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

Almost certainly the mattress held up by two people.

First, you have a shorter distance to fall, so less time to accelerate. So the force when you hit will be smaller.

Second, two people holding up the mattress at the end will permit it to bend in the middle as well as cushion the fall. This gives more distance over which your fall can be slowed – and the force of impact is based on how quickly you’re forced to decelerate.