how bout this for a chemical weapon? A really large aircraft flies over Iraq and drops MILLIONS of hits of acid...the americans go in after everybody is really stoned and just picks thru everyone till they get all the troublemakers???

How to win the war and make big savings.<font color=cadetblue>Now, THIS is a good idea.</font>

Ya but thats not Chemical so it dont count!

That's a great Idea. I'd poar the pennies out from 30,000 ft to get a better spread. It could also double as finacial aid ;)

<font color=orange>Proof, once again, that one should not be drinking coffee (or any beverage) when reading posts on Ironworks!!! My System Manager is going to kill me!!! Where is the damn Windex?

Once again Mr. Harris, you are right on!!! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

That's a great Idea. I'd poar the pennies out from 30,000 ft to get a better spread. It could also double as finacial aid ;) </font>[/QUOTE]Sadly this would only produce the atrocity of killing civilians while leaving the enemy troops alive.

a little math:

a penny weighs 2.5g
dropping height = 10000m (about 33000 feet)

s = g/2*t^2
10000 = 10/2*t^2
t = sqrt(2000) - square root of 2000

The pennies fall for about 45 seconds

v = g*t = 10*sqrt(2000)

They reach a speed of about 450m/s

E = (m*v^2)/2
E = (0.0025 * (10*sqrt(2000))^2)/2
E = (0.0025 * 200000) / 2
E = 250 N

The pennies would have an energy of 250N which is about the same as a 9mm short bullet (e.g. Walther PPK) or twice the energy of a .22 caliber gun.
Most armor will withstand that leaving troops unharmed. After all standard flak jackets or Kevlar vests are designed to protect from 9mm Parabellum and .40 S&W which have energies around 600N.

So only civilian casualties and everybody who hurries inside a house roofed with more than a blanket or rotten wood will lekely survive as well. No use against any military targets.

How about nickles then?? They are substantialy heavier than pennies.

yes but they also cost 5! times more
and being heavier you could carry less of them in a bomber
and the payload would be more expensive of course

a B52-H has a maximum bombload of 50000lbs for example
50000lbs = 25000kg = 10 million pennys (= 100 000$) = 5 million Nickels (250 000$)

Still the energy would only be 500N again less than a .40 S&W

Dimes weigh less than Pennies and are therfore useless in our matter and Quarters (5.67g) also would only raise to 567N while raising the price of our payload to 1.1 million $

[ 08-18-2003, 03:01 PM: Message edited by: Faceman ]

So drop them in groups, or bags. [img]graemlins/1ponder.gif[/img] Hell, just drop 'em for the fun of it. Who needs pennies anyway?

<font color=cadetblue>Wow, someone actually took the time to figure out its effectiveness...I applaud you Faceman! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] </font>