If my MC punches a mirror...

[tilt190]

...will she get anything more than a few bloody knuckles in need of stitches?

If the mirror is a hanging wall mirror like this:

http://brandsoapbox.typepad.com/tatt_ad/images/juicy_couture.jpg

Will the whole mirror, frame and all, fall to the ground?

Thanks.

[alleycat]

A mirror that size would probably be mounted to the wall, rather than merely hung, so it wouldn't fall. However, it's your story and you can have it any way you want; if you want it to fall, have it hung. It would take a pretty good hit just to break it with a fist.

I don't think someone would get stitches for cuts on their knuckles. I think it would be mostly likely be some cuts and scraps to the skin only (in other words, not a flesh wound). I'm no medical expert however.

[Linda Adams]

Don't forget that if the mirror is hanging on a wall or against the wall, the person is also hitting the wall. A school friend once got angry and punched a wall. She broke her hand and had to wear a special splint while it healed.

[Sage]

...will she get anything more than a few bloody knuckles in need of stitches?
Seven years bad luck?

[Tsu Dho Nimh]

...will she get anything more than a few bloody knuckles in need of stitches?

If the mirror is a hanging wall mirror like this:

Will the whole mirror, frame and all, fall to the ground? Thanks.

The mirror is backed up by a solid wall. If she punches it hard enough to break it, she will fall to the ground, clutching her hand with the broken metacarpals (the long bones between knuckles and wrists). Usually the little finger is the one that gets broken.

It's called a "drywall fracture" in many ERs because guy gets drunk, gets mad, punches the wall, busts up the hand. Also known as "boxer's fracture" and brawler's fracture.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=metacarpal%20fracture&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi has pictures.

[dpaterso]

You could avoid serious injury (unless that's what you want?) by having her strike the mirror with an angry downward hammer blow (starting with fist above the head) rather than a straight punch with arm, shoulder and body weight behind the fist. She'd have a bloody hand perhaps (who can say?), but not so bust up she needs treatment.

-Derek

[justsomeguy]

There's a certain amount of chance involved when it comes to punching a wall (in this case, the one behind the mirror).

The drywall is attached to studs (either wood or metal) that make up the frame of the wall. These studs are most often a bit less than two inches wide and most often spaced so that their centers are either 16 or 24 inches apart (codes vary, but 24 for interior, non-load-bearing and 16 otherwise is generally a safe bet in my experience, which is all in the US).

In my experience, you can punch a hole in drywall without much injury at all, PROVIDED you don't happen to hit a stud. If you do, that's when the injuries mentioned above'll come into play.

I really couldn't tell you anything about hitting a mirror, but am hoping the above info about the wall that's probably behind it will be helpful.

[CoriSCapnSkip]

Don't forget that if the mirror is hanging on a wall or against the wall, the person is also hitting the wall. A school friend once got angry and punched a wall. She broke her hand and had to wear a special splint while it healed.

Supposedly Andy Griffith did that five times. Some people learn real slow.

[Mythical Tiger]

If she punched the mirror, I doubt she would need stitches. Just a few minor cuts and maybe sore hand^_^. I should know. Well, I didn't hit a mirror but I did punch through a window. It was pretty thick too. A window is close to a mirror right? All I had afterwards was a bloodied and scratched up hand. Also a sprained wristXD. Hope this helps!


~Sam

[mdin]

I don't know if this will help or not, but I once witnessed a large mirror getting broken by accident. It wasn't as big as the one in the picture, but it was pretty large. The person broke it by tripping and placing their palm and all their weight against the glass.

It splintered in a circular pattern with a ton of small dagger-shaped pieces in the middle that got larger the farther you went from the impact. The entire mirror was bolted to the wall, so the frame didn't budge. A bunch of glass fell immediately, but not all of it fell.

She didn't have a scratch on her hand, but a giant, triangular chunk of glass fell on the top of her sandaled foot, and she had to get stitches.

Also, some old mirrors were made with tin and mercury. I don't know much about mercury poisoning, but I know it's a nasty, deadly metal.

[tilt190]

Thanks, all. Okay, it would make much more sense for the mirror to be mounted. But I'm relieved that breaking a mirror by punching it CAN happen, as opposed to my hyperactive imagination.
Navigator--Yeah, the mirror in question is an antique, so I'll look into the mercury poisoning.