Curious as to what would happen if I perfectly time it. Would I be safe? Lets say the building is 4 stories high
In: Physics
If you jump *out* and not *up* you would have a higher chance of surviving. You still likely wouldn’t, but would have a better shot. Here’s how:
Don’t think about a building. Think about a 16′ ladder in a warehouse. You’re having to get stuff off a shelf 14′ feet above you. That’s a whole floor.
A fall from there onto concrete can technically break some bones. So you tell the guy holding the base of the ladder (we work safe at the Imaginary Warehouse) to remember to “shove you real hard” if you fall. Why would you say that?
Because the force of being shoved helps redirect some of the momentum from your fall. Concrete doesn’t give, so we don’t want you splat — which is exactly what will happen to all the energy you gained during your fall. If we shove you, you can slide along the surface, dispelling energy that way. This is a way to reduce the odds of severe injury.
Back to your building.
You’re on the roof of your four story building having a smoke break. You forgot it was demolition day, feel the explosion, and the sudden caving in of the building. You know you don’t have a lot of time (it takes about 1.7 seconds for a 4-story building to collapse), so you start sprinting to the edge.
The average non-Usain Bolt can run between 12-15mph at a full sprint. The building’s fall, assuming the rate of gravity is still 9.8 m/s^2, is about 37mph. A headfirst collision at 37 will kill you, but you can survive a skid (see: motorcycle accidents).
You have pretty good odds of survival if you’re able to, with the assistance of your sprint changing your velocity, get your fall down to 27-30mph. It will still hurt like a bitch, and you’ll probably still break something, but you could survive (assuming you land on actual ground and not just concrete).
An actual physicist can tear my idea apart, now.
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