It might seem weird to look to the world ofcartoonsto learn about the forcible laws that govern the real existence , but in the middle of all the crazy capering , wildexplosions , unlikely chase sequence and downright impossible action at law scenes , sometimes cartoons get physics right . Because forcible action mechanism are so often exaggerated in animation , it can actually be easier to see forces at work . Of naturally , sometimes it ’s just a really good quantum mechanics pun .
These 10 lesson from ourfavorite cartoonsshow times when zany law of cartoonland gave way to the actual laws of physics ( but still stayed fathead ) .
10: The Flash Uses Quantum Tunneling
On several occasions , the Flash has vibrated his molecules using his superspeed tycoon , then passed through a apparently solid physical object . What ’s going on here ? A rather improbable extrapolation of a conception known as quantum tunneling .
Quantum tunnelingis the means by which very small particles , usually negatron , are able to pass through very tenuous layer of impassable textile . It bet on quantum auto-mechanic , the means particles behave at very minor scales . Specifically , it depend on particle / wave duality – at quantum scales , particles display properties of both a molecule and a moving ridge . It ’s insufferable to ascertain the exact position of a particle – instead , a particle live as a swarm of probabilities . When a particle crashes into a thin roadblock , there ’s a tiny chance that the subatomic particle exists on the other side of the barrier . Crash enough speck and some of them will flex out to actually be on the other side when measure . Despite the name , they do n’t actually tunnel through the barrier . They just appear on the other side . This is n’t just theoretical – negatron tunneling microscopes measure the number of electrons tunneling through lean textile to get incredibly precise images .
How does this work for the Flash?Quantumdoesn’t workplace at macro scales . That is , intact object ca n’t quantum tunnel through brick walls . Presumably , Flash is vibrating his molecules to give each corpuscle many , many chance to appear on the other side of the wall . While the construct is realistic , there ’s actually no manner a large object could quantum burrow though anything as thick as a wall .
9: Futurama’s St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl
In the episode " The Route of All Evil , " the " Futurama " gang judge to find goodbeer . In their search , they come across St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl beer . It ’s a reference book to the German - brewed St. Pauli Girl beer , perhaps most well known for their logotype featuring a blonde woman in traditional dress .
More importantly , it ’s a mention to thePauli Exclusion Principle , a law of quantum physics first key by physicist Wolfgang Pauli ( who was Austrian , not German ) in 1925 . The principle explain thatparticleswith a sure sort of spin ( an intrinsical dimension of quantum particles ) can never occupy the same quantum State Department .
While the nature of quantum states and corpuscle tailspin can be difficult to grasp , the results of the exclusion principle are easygoing to see . Without it , we would n’t have different elements with different properties , like O , pig , plutonium , hydrogen , carbon or anything else on the periodical table . Without elements , there would n’t be much of anything in the universe . This is because the Pauli Exclusion Principle is what pull electron into different DOE layer , or shell , around the nucleus of an mote . Those unlike negatron Department of Energy level are what give component unlike place and set aside them to interact and form unexampled elements and chemical reactions . Thanks , St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl !
8: Wall-E’s Fire Extinguisher Propulsion System
When Wall - E needs to leave a self - destructing escape valve cod in a hurry , he uses a flak extinguisher as apropulsionsystem , rocket his way to safety . Wall - E was relying in Newton ’s third law of apparent movement , which is commonly rendered as , " Every action mechanism has an adequate and paired reaction . " More accurately , all military group result from the interaction between two objects , and when two objects interact , they apply an adequate amount of force play to each other , with the force do in opposite directions . A bat practice strength to a baseball , and the baseball game applies an adequate amount of power to the bat , but in polar direction . The difference you see in movement is due toNewton ’s 2d law of apparent movement ( a = F / m , commonly give as F = ma ) , which show that objects with a lot of mass do n’t accelerate as much . When you bounce a lawn tennis chunk off a brick rampart , the wall does accelerate , but if you plug its mass into the 2nd natural law par , the quickening is so small you do n’t comment it .
In Wall - E ’s case , the two target were Wall - due east himself ( including the flaming extinguisher , which he was holding onto tightly ) and the compressed gas inside the fire extinguisher . When he activates the extinguisher , the flatulency shoots out with a certain amount of force out . An equal amount of strength pushes Wall - E in the opposite focusing .
Is this plausible ? While fire extinguishers diverge greatly in the amount of gas pedal they contain and how much pressure they ’re under , it ’s definitely within rationality that a large asphyxiator could propel Wall - einsteinium at impressive speeds , especially considering Wall - E ’s miserable peck .
7: Heat Death and the Big Bang on Futurama
In the episode " The Late Philip J. Fry , " Fry and supporter go 1000000000 of years into the hereafter and find the conclusion of theuniverse , with all the star and galaxy exploding and fleet into nothing . This roughly jibes with one theory of the closing of the universe , in which all matter and vim becomes so uniformly spread out it no longer interacts with itself , creating a stasis known as " warmth decease . " Professor Farnsworth ’s cast-off line , " There ’s the last proton decaying , " is a little iffy – in the most common physics models , protons do n’t decay .
The terminal of the universe is n’t the end for our character , however . They witness a raw Big Bang and the birth of a unexampled universe of discourse , which plays out identically to the old universe of discourse ( even down to Leela wait for a chronically former Frey in the same eating house that she did in the quondam creation ) . While the construct of theBig Bangis accurate in a very general sense , " Futurama " does n’t render it accurately . The Big Bang was not an explosion in space ; it was an burst of blank space . In the Big Bang , space itself expatiate from an infinitely small point . You could n’t witness the Big Bang from an external localisation unless you were outside the universe ( and because they finally return home we get laid that Frey , Farnsworth and Bender are still inside the universe ) .
The recur death and rebirth of the universe is conceptually exact in some cosmological models , although it could pass off by many unlike mechanism . Most commonly , the population could shrink back down to a percentage point rather of experiencing heat death . That detail ( a singularity ) would eventually undergo another Big Bang and restart the process .
6: Classic Superman Battles on an Inclined Plane
The classic 1940sSupermancartoons from Fleischer Studios laid the cornerstones of Supes ' soda pop culture superstardom . " Look ! Up in the sky ! " A great lesson of Superman combat the laws of physics is an episode titled " Billion Dollar Limited , " in which he must barricade a runaway wagon train sate with the largest gold loading ever transported . The train careens down a incline , and Superman finish it by seize the last automobile and pulling it back up the J. J. Hill . It ’s a beautiful exemplification of an disposed plane .
When you crowd on an objective or surface ( including standing on the flat coat ) , a force called the normal force wield an polar and adequate amount of force . This is actually the force created by the microscopic compression of atom , and it ’s what makes firm objects substantial . The significant affair is that the normal force out always acts vertical to the surface .
With an inclined plane , like the slope the wagon train is rolling down , the train is pushing down on the incline ( due togravity ) and the normal force pushes back an equal amount . Those forces are balanced . However , gravitation is pull the train straight down , not vertical to the surface , so some component of the gravitative force is acting parallel to the slope , pulling the train downhill . The accurate amount of that force can be forecast if we measure the slant of the slope and know the weight of the string . This computation is verbalise through the equating F = mg*sin Ɵ.
There are two things antagonize that downward force – friction and Superman . Figuring out exactly how much forcefulness he needs to pull the caravan up the pitcher’s mound is complicated and beyond our scope here ( there are unlike kinds of clash necessitate , we do n’t know how much the geartrain car weigh , and so on ) . One affair ’s for certain : The storyteller is n’t kidding when he says Superman is , " more brawny than a locomotive . "
5: Homer, His Potato Chips and Our New Ant Overlords Experience Weightlessness
In the classic Simpsons installment " Deep Space Homer , " Homer go to blank aboard thespace birdie . While in orbit , Homer have realistic weightlessness . While Homer ’s flight ( and the flying of his potato chips and ant overlords ) is precise , your ideas about why Homer and real astronauts are weightless in compass might not be .
The farther you get from Earth , the less gravity affects you . However , in an Earth reach , this diminution of gravity is minimum , reducing gravitational violence by roughly 10 percent . So an absence seizure of gravity ca n’t excuse astronauts and Homer floating around , seemingly weightless .
So what makes Homer float ? Free pin . When you ’re on Earth , you never experience graveness flat . It is a personnel that act at a distance , and it ’s impossible to feel . You only feel touch force-out , like a dodgeball run into you in the shoulder , or the priming advertise up against your feet ( which we ’ve learn is forebode the normal power ) . If you could somehow eliminate all the contact force , you would experience a feeling of weightlessness , even though your genuine weight and the factual gravitational force out acting on you remain the same . You get a glimpse of this on aroller coasteras it goes over a shrill wage increase . In an orbital fomite , it ’s as if the astronauts are always going over the top of that roller coaster . They ’re fall down , but the space shuttlecock is also pass forth from them , in a constant perpetual free twilight around Earth . With no striking effect , they do n’t live their own weight . They feel ( and appear ) weightless .
4: Venture Brothers: Gargantua-1’s Geosynchronous Orbit
In the episode " Careers in Science , " Gargantua-1 is a massivespace stationthat has seen better days . It ’s described as having a geosynchronous area , although it is n’t clear if it ’s also geostationary . A geosynchronous electron orbit means the orbiter has the same orbital full stop as Earth . Therefore the satellite will queer the same spot in the sky ( relative to an observer on Earth ) at the same sentence every Clarence Day . This does n’t mean it will appear to remain in the accurate same spot in the sky , since the artificial satellite may be orbiting at an inclination from the equator . To explain that another way : As Earth rotates , a stationary observer on the ground is move directly from west to east , while the orbiter may be moving at some north - southward slant ( and is not inevitably ever forthwith overhead ) . Because the orbital catamenia is the same , the satellite " meets " the same pip in the sky at the same sentence each twenty-four hour period .
A geostationaryorbitis a extra instance in which the satellite orb along the equator , allow for it to maintain the same relative spot in the sky . This concept is widely credited to science - fiction source Arthur C. Clarke .
In recitation , a satellite ( or space station ) in geosynchronous or geostationary orbit needs to periodically use pusher to keep itself in the right orbit . SPOILER alarm : This may excuse why Gargantua-1 , in serious disrepair and experience a problem that may or may not have been urine - have-to doe with , eventually drop down out of orbital cavity and crash .
3: Olaf Survives a Long Fall in ‘Frozen’
Our pet confused snowman , Olaf , experiences a lot of cathartic , with all the fall , acrobatics , sliding and crash into things he does in the course of Disney ’s " Frozen . "
Although Olaf is made ofsnow , he ’s mostly treat as a solid object . When Olaf falls off a cliff , he first experiences quickening due to somberness . The force of Earth ’s gravity accelerates Olaf toward Earth . We could calculate this with Newton ’s 2nd law , a = farad / m. Since he ’s made of Charles Percy Snow , Olaf is belike not very obtuse , so you might reckon he would n’t accelerate as speedily as if he were made of solid ice . However , all objects in destitute drop accelerate at the same rate , disregardless of their multitude . At some point , though , he will gain concluding speed , the point at which the drag of air push on him equals the acceleration due to sobriety , and he speed no more . This is an authoritative physics construct , because terminal speed does not depend on Olaf ’s good deal , but rather on his chassis . More open or go around out shapes create great puff , resulting in a scurvy terminal velocity . This is why a parachute works – it does n’t make the skydiver any lighter , it just increases her drag .
When Olaf hits the ground at the bottom of the cliff , he know deceleration ( which is a shape of acceleration ) . Could a live snowman actually last such a fall ? golden for Olaf , there ’s a thick layer of snow on the earth . That means his deceleration is spread out over a few extra fractions of a second , compared to bring on solidconcrete . That makes all the difference , because spreading out the force contribute to Olaf over a longer period reduces the damage it will do to him , just like the air bags in your car slow down down the deceleration of your body in a crash .
2: Mr. Incredible Stops Crooks' Car With a Tree, Crooks Keep Going
To foil a grouping of crooks , Mr. Incredible drops a tree trunk in front of their speeding auto . The auto comes to a metal - crunching halt , but the risky guys keep move forward until they smack into the dashboard and windscreen , incapacitated . This is Newton ’s first law at work . It articulate that an target will keep doing whatever it ’s already doing until some force hit it do something else . You may have heard it word , " An object at rest lean to detain at rest ; an object in question tends to ride out in motion , " or just the law of inactivity .
This law can seem counterintuitive at first , because here on Earth there are a bunch of invisible forces represent on objects at all times that cause them to ostensibly violate Newton ’s first law . If you throw a ball , should n’t it keep going constantly ? It would in distance , but on Earth the clod is slowed by friction from passing through air , and eventuallygravitymakes it fall to the terra firma ( where even more friction make it fare to a stop ) .
In the case of the guy in the car , they ’re moving forrader , labour by the normal force of their seatbacks . When Mr. Incredible brings the car to a sudden stop , the crooks keep moving ahead , in accordance with Newton ’s first law . However , it is n’t air resistance or gravity that slows them down , it ’s the self-coloured objects in front of them – the fascia andwindshield . Those objects levy a force on the baddie , causing them to blockade moving ( and , as is the case with the car , the sudden slowing causes some physical damage ) .
1: Woody Dangles From His Pullstring in ‘Toy Story 3’
This scene from " Toy Story 3 " is a great parody of the classic " Mission Impossible " ceiling driblet laugh . In the scene , Woody hangs from atree , get by his wrench string . Then the chain retracts , activating his built - in interpreter transcription . The physics here is fairly straightforward – we ’re measuring the net force at work on Woody to see how and if he moves .
At first , Woody is fall , accelerating toward the priming coat due to gravity . The string gets catch on a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , so now there ’s a force play counteracting gravity : The tautness military force of thestringis pulling Woody up . For a second , the tenseness force out is equal to the gravitative force , so Woody hangs motionless . The net effect acting on him are in counterpoise .
Then some mechanism in Woody activates , presumably a springiness that wind the string up inside him . The natural spring applies supernumerary tenseness effect to the chain ( we can deal the spring as part of Woody , in terms of determine which force are play on which objects ) . This increase in the tension force outstrip the gravitational violence , so Woody commence accelerating upward . However , he stops quicken and then propel up at a constant pace , meaning the forces balanced out again . The leap had a niggling redundant sex appeal at the start to get Woody move , apparently .
Lots More Information
I always memorize a lot when I explore and write a HowStuffWorks article , but this one was a serious crash course in physics . I ’d understood a pot of these physical laws on a conceptual stratum , but really drilling down and looking at the formulas give me a much recondite discernment . I was knee - deep in calculating Superman ’s pulling military group on the disposed aeroplane at one point , but had to edit out that out because it was too long . I get a lot of help from my wife , who is a gamey school physics teacher .
