Reply #143: resistance

[tenseconds]

What's the force thats causing all the potential energy to be released? The upper sections. As I said before the energy from the upper sections would drastically dissipate to release the potential energy of the lower sections. You would have to calculate the gravitational energy of the top sections,calculate the loss of velocity by the top section incurred by the initial collision of the two sections, and the loss of potential energy of the top section to kinetic energy to create the masses of dust particles. The top sections aren't falling through air,they're engaging the resistance of the lower sections which carried by far the greater preponderancy of weight.