Are Superheroes Actually Following the Laws of Physics?
While watching movies such as “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Spiderman: Homecoming,” and “Batman vs. Superman” most people do not think about the physics behind what the superheroes are doing. Would it really be possible for Spiderman to swing across buildings, or for Superman to fly?
In the beginning of “Spiderman: Homecoming,” Peter is sitting in a physics class trying to solve a problem. The scene goes like this:
Teacher: OK, so. How do we calculate linear acceleration between points A and B?
Flash: Product of sine of angle and gravity divided by the mass.
Teacher: Nope. Peter?
Peter: Ummm ... mass cancels out so it's just gravity times sine.
Rhett Allain tried to figure out the answer to this problem, and found many faults with both the question and the picture that was presented to the class. First of all, there is no point A and B, it was labeled in the picture as point 1 and 2. Allain decided that “linear acceleration” must mean “the component of acceleration in the direction of motion.” He solved for this using a force diagram, which ends up giving the answer that Peter Parker gave.
So in reality, it is not easy math to solve the equation that Peter Parker did, and some roundabout assumptions need to be made to find the answer. However, what more people are wondering is the physics behind what the superheroes are actually doing. For example, Superman being able to fly could be plausible in physics if there was some upward force. One theory behind this is “that he is able to emit high-velocity streams of air through the pores of his skin. As he forces the air out of his body, according to Newton's Third Law, the expelled air must push back. And since Superman can survive in space, his lungs clearly aren't needed for respiration—maybe they're auxiliary air tanks.”
These examples prompt the question of is it ok to sacrifice physics and mathematics for the sake of the movie. Some people who are more intellectual that I would say that no, it is not ok for movies to not be mathematically correct, that it is more important to learn than to have cool scenes in movies. Personally, I would say that it is more important to make a good movie. If someone is paying to see a movie about superheroes, then they are probably not going to be calculating the average acceleration of someone swinging between buildings or the plausibility of someone flying. Superhero movies are works of fiction, they do not have to be academically correct. I don't think that the barriers for making these movies should be the laws of physics. Superpowers are obviously not something that occur in the real world. It does not make sense that they should be put in the boundaries of the world that humans would think of. They belong to a different realm, and it makes for better movies if they are not restricted by the laws that are true in our world.
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzKAU07oZww
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzKAU07oZww
Works Cited
Allain, Rhett. “Could Spider-Man Actually Pass Physics?” Wired, Conde Nast, 10 Oct. 2017, www.wired.com/story/could-spider-man-actually-pass-physics/.
PBS. “Stan Lee on the 'Science' of Comic Book Superheroes | SUPERHEROES | PBS.”YouTube, YouTube, 10 Oct. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzKAU07oZww.
Weiner, Adam. “The Science of Superheroes.” Popular Science, 31 Jan. 2008, www.popsci.com/entertainment-gaming/article/2008-01/science-superheroes#page-3.
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