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Science · True or False?

Doubling the speed of wind doubles the damage it can do

The answer is False.

Explanation

The force (drag) exerted by wind on an object is proportional to the square of its speed. So doubling the speed means 4 times the force. And the power delivered (the energy per second) scales with the cube, so 8 times. This is why wind damage escalates so brutally with stronger storms.

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