I'm trying to estimate the speeds of dinosaur footprints using Alexander's 1976 formula (speed (m/s) = 0.25 x gravitational constant0.5 x Stride length1.67 x hip height-1.17
I'm using Microsoft Excel to produce a calculated table but I'm not sure how to input the data and equation.
I currently am using the gravitational constant at 6.673 then inputting this into my spreadsheet with the term
=6.673(0.5)*248(1.67)*2.48(-1.17) and the results do not seem correct (I got -4009.56
Does anyone know where I am going wrong and how to fix this?
Thank you in advance
Use SI units: g = 9.81 m/s2; stride = ... m ; hip height = ... m.
248 meters is a quite long stride (stride length = distance from one left foot to the next left foot or from one right foot to the next right foot).
If you put in the numbers + units correctly the result will have the correct unit as well (m/s).
Sorry, I meant 248cm!
Thank you again! I will have a look at converting the units!
Its not just your units that are wrong! the formula you give has powers (speed (m/s) = 0.25 x gravitational constant0.5 x Stride length1.67 x hip height-1.17. But you numerical example implies you have multiplied everything.
Also, note that Alexander's formula uses g, the mean force of gravity in the surface of the Earth, which is 9,81, not G, 6.61*10-11, which is the gravitational constat. The first constat is a special case of teh second, that implies that you are in the surface of a planet with the exact mass and volume of the Earth (quite true for most dinosaurs I can imagine ;))
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