Why does catching someone or something falling in most cases negate or reduce the injury/damage applied to it? Shouldn’t it be almost just as damaging, just a few feet further up?

Question

Why does catching someone or something falling in most cases negate or reduce the injury/damage applied to it? Shouldn’t it be almost just as damaging, just a few feet further up?

In: 2

Answer 1

Catching someone (at least form a smaller height) slows down their momentum gradually instead of suddenly. Sudden changes of momentum have a lot of force, and that is the force that harms the human body. However, slower changes in momentum results in lower forces.

It’s similar to the difference between punching someone, and slowly pushing them away with a closed fist. The former hurts, but the latter not so much.