Law of Gravity Pertaining to Bass Instruments

philco · Post by **philco** » Sat Jan 10, 2004 7:54 pm

If you threw an acoustic double bass off the Empire State Building, waited 10 seconds, then simultaneously threw a Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, and Music Man electric bass off the building, which bass would hit the ground first? I learned the answer to this in high school physics class, and it works in a lot of similar situations.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 5:13 am

If we lived in a vacuum, the double-bass would hit first followed, in 10 seconds, by the four electrics. However, we do not live in a vacuum, so the effect of air flow on the instruments would definitely skew the results.

I would think that the large semi-flat surface of the double-bass would slow its descent quite a bit.

Why the question? Are you thinking about doing an experiment?

philco · Post by **philco** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 9:05 am

The correct answer is not what you're thinking.

Hint: just because you learn something in physics class doesn't mean there has to be a lot of physics involved.

Also, being in New York City, there is an excellent chance the double bass is holding a stash of some kind and would hit the ground first even if you threw it off last.

ojobob2 · Post by **ojobob2** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 1:19 pm

Phil, your nuts! ......what would we all do without you?

philco · Post by **philco** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 2:59 pm

I think that if Bob Young would give up studying water drain whirlpool directional patterns in South America for just a bit, he could come up with the correct answer to this one.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sun Jan 11, 2004 6:13 pm

The correct answer is this: none: they'd all be stolen before they had a chance to hit the ground. Unless of course there was an OLP among them. haha!

philco · Post by **philco** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 3:46 pm

Correct, Bob! There is also another answer. Since this is New York City, you look for a TV camera crew and try to get in the scene being shot, screw the basses, because this sounds like something David Letterman's Tonight Show Band would cook up. Now, if David Letterman and Paul Schaeffer both jumped off the Empire State Building at the same time, with an electric bass in each hand, who/what would hit the ground first?

That would be a good one to watch, even if they used stuffed dummies.

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Mon Jan 12, 2004 6:05 pm

Paul's head is more aerodynamic ...