Hail, Hail The Damage Is Done

Impact Damage From Hail Storms

Abstract

Content Area

Science--Physics (Chemistry and Physics of Energy)

Description

From what height must a hailstone fall to be a danger? Do all hailstones fall from similar heights? Are larger hailstones more hazardous simply because of a larger mass? What factors contribute to making a falling hailstone hazardous? In this physics module, high school students examine the forces involved and the effect on the motion of a falling hailstone. Newton's Second Law of Motion is applied and using computational modeling with STELLA, the motion of a falling hailstone is determined as it heads toward impact below! The velocity of the hailstone at impact and related quantities are used to determine which factors are critical to the hazard level associated with a hailstone.



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Last updated 18 July 2002