Whether or not to run in the rain
Franco Bocci 2012 Eur. J. Phys. 33 1321doi:10.1088/0143-0807/33/5/1321
Received 28 March 2012, in final form 26 June 2012
Published 19 July 2012
Abstract
The problem of choosing an optimal strategy for moving in the rain has attracted considerable attention among physicists and other scientists. Taking a novel approach, this paper shows, by studying simple shaped bodies, that the answer depends on the shape and orientation of the moving body and on wind direction and intensity. For different body shapes, the best strategy may be different: in some cases, it is best to run as fast as possible, while in some others there is an optimal speed.