PART 2: Is it Worth Running in the Rain? June 2000

In May our note was a summary of basic considerations to whether it is worth running in rain. This month we present a JavaScript calculator which uses this analysis. Plug in the various parameters about yourself and the rainfall and see how wet you would get while going to a shelter. ABOUT YOUR SHAPE ABOUT THE RAIN

& YOUR RUNNING HOW WET YOU GET HEIGHT: Ft. In. or cm WIDTH - shoulder to shoulder: In. or cm WIDTH - chest to back: In. or cm You present the following target areas: From the top: square cm From the side: square cm From the front or back: square cm * our apologies for considering you to be shaped like a box! Enter Your Speed: (1 m/s is strolling, 10 m/s is an olympic sprint) m/s Distance to Shelter: (1 m almost the same as 1 yard) m It will take you seconds to get to shelter. Rain Speed: (2 m/s is a drizzle, 9 m/s for large drops) m/s Rain's Vertical Angle to the Front: (0 for straight down, 90 for completely horizontal. The larger this is the more rain hits you in the face or back when you are standing still. Use negative numbers for rain hitting you from behind.) o

Rain's Vertical Angle to the Side: o Your numbers above mean the windspeed is:

m/s

km/h

miles/h Amount of Rainfall per hour: mm (3 mm is about 1/8") Amount or rain which will hit you: From the top: ml From the side: ml From the front/back: ml In total: ml Try a few variations in your speed (and any other conditions you wish) to see how much difference it makes. ** Some results may surprise you at first. For example, try various running speeds with the wind behind you... you stay the driest by running at about the same speed as the wind (basically turning it into vertical rain so you only get wet on the top). Try shape numbers that are more like your dog or cat and the results will be very different - much more of their surface get the vertical component of the rain fall. See more at this archived page: http://web.archive.org/web/20011124160604/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134370003_rain23m.html DC Physics Home Page | More DC Physics Notes