Chapter 6, Problem 89P

You’re an expert witness in a medical malpractice lawsuit. A hospital patient’s leg slipped off a stretcher and his heel hit the floor. The defense attorney for the hospital claims the leg, with mass 8 kg, hit the floor with a force equal to the weight of the leg—about 80 N—and any damage was due to a prior injury. You argue that the leg and heel dropped freely for 0.7 m, then hit the floor and stopped in 2 cm. What do you tell the jury about the force on the heel?