Thread: fall through water

Im curious, If you somehow were to lift an 11 story building section at water level and were to release it where the bottom beneath the water is as far down as the WTC was high, how long do you estimate it would take for the building section to reach the bottom? Would it drop like a rock though air because the large building is so heavy/dense or would water cause sufficient drag to slow the fall by more than a few seconds compared to air? (In movies sinking ships dont appear to sink as fast as it would free fall through air)

It would sink a lot slower than it would fall through air. There is not only the drag from the water, there is also buoyancy.

The force accelerating the sinking object is equal to the difference between its weight and the weight of water it displaces.

Originally Posted by Harold14370

It would sink a lot slower than it would fall through air. There is not only the drag from the water, there is also buoyancy.

The force accelerating the sinking object is equal to the difference between its weight and the weight of water it displaces.

An 11-storey wood pagoda would bob.

Originally Posted by icewendigo

Im curious, If you somehow were to lift an 11 story building section at water level and were to release it where the bottom beneath the water is as far down as the WTC was high, how long do you estimate it would take for the building section to reach the bottom? Would it drop like a rock though air because the large building is so heavy/dense or would water cause sufficient drag to slow the fall by more than a few seconds compared to air? (In movies sinking ships dont appear to sink as fast as it would free fall through air)

If it was an 11 story building, with a bottom floor surface area of 12 feet by 12 feet it would rocket down. If it had more width and length it would take longer. The windows would blow out. And it would sink.






Sincerely,


William McCormick