What is the terminal velocity of a sheep?

[BACK]
What is the terminal velocity of a sheep?
Posted On: August 25, 2015

I am thinking of an alternative timing mechanism; I am building a trap and I wanted to try something different to set it off.


I want to drop a sheep from n blocks high so that I have a delay before the trap is triggered. The timing needs to be very exact, but I don't know how the falling mechanism works: whether there is acceleration, and how fast it is hit. (I understand this would be different for a chicken.).


Can someone give me some figures of the length of time it takes to reach the terminal velocity, and how many blocks per second a mob will fall at terminal velocity?


50 bonus points for the answer for chicken speeds as an extra: This will be applied after two days; the best answer in reference to chickens will get the bounty.


What do you mean, an African or European sheep? Alex.


It is an Unladen European Sheep.


Now a Post on Physics SE.


The winner is confirmed as he was the sole entry but thanks for all the comments which made the answer so brilliant, as soon as the system lets me i will be giving Caleb +100 bounty.


Question from user Flaunting at gaming.stackexchange.com.


Answer:

Falling speed is explained in the "Transportation" page on the wiki:.


Every tick (1/20 second), non-flying players and mobs have their vertical speed decremented (less upward motion, more downward motion) by 0.08 blocks per tick (1.6 m/s), then multiplied by 0.98. This would produce a terminal velocity of 3.92 blocks per tick, or 78.4 m/s.


Terminal Velocity.


As stated above, terminal velocity in Minecraft is 78.4 m/s, but this speed cannot be reached in survival mode:.


However, the sky isn't quite high enough for that: Falling from layer 256 to bedrock takes about 5.5 seconds, with impact at 3.5 blocks per tick (70 m/s).


In creative mode, you can fly higher, and could potentially reach terminal velocity falling from "above the sky".


Acceleration.


Acceleration is not talked about on the wiki, however see the change in velocity over time in the following graph. The graph was created using the formula:.


v(t) = (0.98t - 1) × 3.92.


You will notice that acceleration is not constant, and decreases over time.


How Long?


Using the velocity time graph, we can find how long it would take to reach terminal velocity.


10% Terminal Velocity (0.392 blocks/tick) : ≈ 5 ticks (0.4 seconds).


50% Terminal Velocity (1.96 blocks/tick) : ≈ 35 ticks (1.75 seconds).


75% Terminal Velocity (2.94 blocks/tick) : ≈ 69 ticks (3.45 seconds).


99% Terminal Velocity (3.8808 blocks/tick) : ≈ 228 ticks (11.4 seconds).


100% Terminal Velocity (3.92 blocks/tick) : ≈ 672 ticks (33.6 seconds).


Chicken Science!.


I couldn't find anything on the falling speed of chickens, so I set my own apparatus to test. It involves a 10 block fall with a pressure plate at the bottom, turning on a redstone lamp. I start the timer at the same time that I press the button, and stop the timer when I see the lamp turn on:.


I timed the fall of 3 different chickens to ensure accurate results:.


Test 1: 5.0 seconds.


Test 2: 4.9 seconds.


Test 3: 5.1 seconds.


This averages out at 5 seconds for a chicken to fall 10 blocks. Using the formula for speed we can calculate the speed of a falling chicken:.


speed = distance / time.


speed = 10 / 5.


speed = 2 m/s.


The falling speed of a chicken is 2 m/s.


Higher?


As per the OP's request, I did the test again at a greater height, 50 blocks to be exact:.


I timed the test the same as the others, and received another result:.


Higher Test 1: 25.0 seconds.


The first test I did came back with 25 seconds flat, I didn't feel a need to repeat any more tests:.


speed = distance / time.


speed = 50 / 25.


speed = 2 m/s.


Note: I was using unladen European chickens. I also noticed that chickens reach their maximum velocity as soon as they started falling.


No chicken were harmed in the making of this answer:.


Answer from user Caleb at gaming.stackexchange.com.



[BACK]
What is the terminal velocity of a sheep?
Posted On: August 25, 2015

I am thinking of an alternative timing mechanism; I am building a trap and I wanted to try something different to set it off.


I want to drop a sheep from n blocks high so that I have a delay before the trap is triggered. The timing needs to be very exact, but I don't know how the falling mechanism works: whether there is acceleration, and how fast it is hit. (I understand this would be different for a chicken.).


Can someone give me some figures of the length of time it takes to reach the terminal velocity, and how many blocks per second a mob will fall at terminal velocity?


50 bonus points for the answer for chicken speeds as an extra: This will be applied after two days; the best answer in reference to chickens will get the bounty.


What do you mean, an African or European sheep? Alex.


It is an Unladen European Sheep.


Now a Post on Physics SE.


The winner is confirmed as he was the sole entry but thanks for all the comments which made the answer so brilliant, as soon as the system lets me i will be giving Caleb +100 bounty.


Question from user Flaunting at gaming.stackexchange.com.


Answer:

Falling speed is explained in the "Transportation" page on the wiki:.


Every tick (1/20 second), non-flying players and mobs have their vertical speed decremented (less upward motion, more downward motion) by 0.08 blocks per tick (1.6 m/s), then multiplied by 0.98. This would produce a terminal velocity of 3.92 blocks per tick, or 78.4 m/s.


Terminal Velocity.


As stated above, terminal velocity in Minecraft is 78.4 m/s, but this speed cannot be reached in survival mode:.


However, the sky isn't quite high enough for that: Falling from layer 256 to bedrock takes about 5.5 seconds, with impact at 3.5 blocks per tick (70 m/s).


In creative mode, you can fly higher, and could potentially reach terminal velocity falling from "above the sky".


Acceleration.


Acceleration is not talked about on the wiki, however see the change in velocity over time in the following graph. The graph was created using the formula:.


v(t) = (0.98t - 1) × 3.92.


You will notice that acceleration is not constant, and decreases over time.


How Long?


Using the velocity time graph, we can find how long it would take to reach terminal velocity.


10% Terminal Velocity (0.392 blocks/tick) : ≈ 5 ticks (0.4 seconds).


50% Terminal Velocity (1.96 blocks/tick) : ≈ 35 ticks (1.75 seconds).


75% Terminal Velocity (2.94 blocks/tick) : ≈ 69 ticks (3.45 seconds).


99% Terminal Velocity (3.8808 blocks/tick) : ≈ 228 ticks (11.4 seconds).


100% Terminal Velocity (3.92 blocks/tick) : ≈ 672 ticks (33.6 seconds).


Chicken Science!.


I couldn't find anything on the falling speed of chickens, so I set my own apparatus to test. It involves a 10 block fall with a pressure plate at the bottom, turning on a redstone lamp. I start the timer at the same time that I press the button, and stop the timer when I see the lamp turn on:.


I timed the fall of 3 different chickens to ensure accurate results:.


Test 1: 5.0 seconds.


Test 2: 4.9 seconds.


Test 3: 5.1 seconds.


This averages out at 5 seconds for a chicken to fall 10 blocks. Using the formula for speed we can calculate the speed of a falling chicken:.


speed = distance / time.


speed = 10 / 5.


speed = 2 m/s.


The falling speed of a chicken is 2 m/s.


Higher?


As per the OP's request, I did the test again at a greater height, 50 blocks to be exact:.


I timed the test the same as the others, and received another result:.


Higher Test 1: 25.0 seconds.


The first test I did came back with 25 seconds flat, I didn't feel a need to repeat any more tests:.


speed = distance / time.


speed = 50 / 25.


speed = 2 m/s.


Note: I was using unladen European chickens. I also noticed that chickens reach their maximum velocity as soon as they started falling.


No chicken were harmed in the making of this answer:.


Answer from user Caleb at gaming.stackexchange.com.



[BACK]

My cat judged me for my romance with Karlach. My cat judged me for my romance with Karlach.

Posted On: October 26, 2025
Question from user clockfart at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.Answer:https: - - preview.redd.it - 43rozd682hxf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09f8507118c348285c6e43ca64eea2252e85f010.I feel you...[More]


Where can I find a Mercenary Guild envoy? Where can I find a Mercenary Guild envoy?

Posted On: April 22, 2024
I'm exploring the new space station's layout (after some recent updates), but I was only able to find a Merchants Guild envoy.Where are Mercenary Guild envoys located? I have a few pirate transponders...[More]


I spent 2 minutes laughing. So messed up. I spent 2 minutes laughing. So messed up.

Posted On: September 11, 2024
Question from user napalmblaziken at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com.Answer:Batman approves.Answer from user GabyFermi at BaldursGate3 at reddit.com....[More]


Having a horrible time with a fight and need help Having a horrible time with a fight and need help

Posted On: November 6, 2023
I’m in the underdark trying to kill Nere and I cannot get through this fight. There are a million duergar and I keep dying when I try to go through the fight. I’m level 5 and have mysel...[More]


i don't know what to do now i don't know what to do now

Posted On: November 26, 2025
ok so i'm in the second act of bg3 but i have no idea what to do next.I can't do the nightsong quest because when i had shadowheart spare nightsong, nightsong got rid of the darkness sure but the sha...[More]


What does the padlock icon in Pokemon summary page mean? What does the padlock icon in Pokemon summary page mean?

Posted On: April 6, 2023
I've noticed that there's a padlock icon in every Pokemon summary page, but I can't figure out its meaning or how to use it. How can you lock a Pokemon? And lock from what? Or is tha...[More]


What does EA TRAX do? What does EA TRAX do?

Posted On: April 27, 2024
In the Audio settings of Need for Speed: Carbon for PS3, what does the "EA TRAX" option do?Question from user Stevoisiak at gaming.stackexchange.com.Answer:EA Trax is a branding used by Electronic Art...[More]


Polyamory with Astarion shouldn’t be a thing. Polyamory with Astarion shouldn’t be a thing.

Posted On: July 18, 2024
POSSIBLE NSFW? And before you call me a slur or get mad, here’s why I think this: .- He is unsure when you ask him for a poly relationship with (Character), and he even asks if it’s because you ha...[More]


Can I skip the launcher when launching Baldurs Gate 3 from Steam? Can I skip the launcher when launching Baldurs Gate 3 from Steam?

Posted On: July 12, 2023
I don't want to have to go through the "Larian Launcher" when I want to play Baldur's Gate 3 in Steam. How can I skip it? Question from user Oak at stackexchange. Answer: To...[More]


Why am I unable to ascend as Astarion? Why am I unable to ascend as Astarion?

Posted On: September 12, 2023
I've just defeated Cazador, but am missing the dialogue option to ascend in his place. All I can do is stab him. What did I miss and is there any way to fix this other than reloading back? Ques...[More]