When a person is executed by hanging, one of the keys to "success" is breaking the neck. This requires that certain force be applied - too little and the person slowly strangles, too much and the person's head may come off. Various tables have been developed to determine the drop distance based on weight.
Formula 1: Based on 1260 foot•pounds being applied to the neck.
distance to drop in feet =
= (1260) / (weight in pounds)
|
Weight |
1933 |
Modern Drop |
|
196 |
8.0 |
5.416 |
|
189 |
8.167 |
5.5 |
|
182 |
8.333 |
5.666 |
|
175 |
8.5 |
5.9167 |
|
168 |
8.666 |
6.083 |
|
161 |
8.833 |
6.333 |
|
154 |
9 |
6.5 |
|
147 |
9.167 |
6.666 |
|
140 |
9.333 |
7.083 |
|
133 |
9.5 |
7.416 |
|
126 |
9.666 |
7.583 |
|
119 |
9.833 |
7.75 |
|
112 |
10 |
8.0 |
distance in feet for 1933 =
= (-0.02381 * (body weight in pounds)) + 12.67
with minimum 8 feet and maximum 10 feet
distance in feet for modern drop =
= (-0.03238 * (body weight in pounds)) + 11.60
with minimum 5 feet and maximum 8 feet
|
Weight |
1892 Home Office |
1913 Home Office |
|
200 |
4.167 |
5.0 |
|
195 |
4.333 |
5.1667 |
|
190 |
4.416 |
5.25 |
|
185 |
4.583 |
5.416 |
|
180 |
4.667 |
5.583 |
|
175 |
4.75 |
5.667 |
|
170 |
4.916 |
5.833 |
|
165 |
5.083 |
6.083 |
|
160 |
5.25 |
6.25 |
|
155 |
5.416 |
6.416 |
|
150 |
5.583 |
6.666 |
|
145 |
5.75 |
6.916 |
|
140 |
6 |
7.167 |
|
135 |
6.166 |
7.416 |
|
130 |
6.216 |
7.66 |
|
125 |
6.75 |
8 |
|
120 |
7 |
8.33 |
|
118 |
|
8.5 |
|
115 |
7.25 |
|
|
110 |
7.833 |
|
|
105 |
8.0 |
|
distance in feet for 1892 =
= (0.000291 * ((body weight)^2)) - (0.1275 * (body weight in pounds)) + 18.14
with minimum 4 feet and maximum 8 feet
distance in feet for 1913 =
= (0.00028 * ((body weight)^2)) - (0.1305 * (body weight in pounds)) + 19.95
with minimum 5 feet and maximum 8.5 feet
Specialty: Clinical Laboratory, Emergency Medicine, Pulmonology
