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I think that there are two factors - the weight involved, and the length of the drop. This is assuming that the strength of the neck muscles is a constant from person to person.
My thoughts would be....
According to Galileo, it doesn't matter how much weight is
involved in working out how fast you travel down; g is g,
irrespective of m. But the weight would affect the force
going down upon "stopping", since F=mv. So the force
exerted on the neck would be greater if a stone were
attached.
The length of the drop is clearly relevant; since, again, F=mv, and v increases with time - the longer the drop, the faster you're going (there is a limit to this, of course)a.
So both are relevant. Hope this helps!
Mike
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