Can a penny dropped from Empire State building really kill someone below? This is news you need to know… I think… Oh well let’s stop the debate. Fortunately, this isn’t true. Here’s why: The Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall, and a penny dropped from that height would hit the ground at a rate of 280 feet per second. Taking into account the shape of a penny and the likely wind resistance it would encounter on its way down, it’s unlikely the coin would even break the skin of a hapless passerby on the ground. See MSN homepage for more info on this.
