Hollywood Math Part II – Superhero Physics

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When it comes to Hollywood, physics usually gets thrown out the window. From Iron Man’s outrageously sophisticated suit to Daredevil’s superhuman hearing, comic book movies are no exception, and many superheroes invalidate physics on a regular basis. Thor’s hammer, for example, seemingly violates the principle of conservation of momentum, one of the most powerful laws in physics. 

On the other hand, Spider-Man is a physics expert. His masterful web-weaving is one extremely complex differential equation that he essentially solves in real time. But you don’t need to be an engineer to understand his smooth moves; you just need to have a sense of how pendulums work as he swings between buildings.

During this webinar we will present a number of these examples, and examine the real-world physics involved. Anyone with an interest in mathematics will be entertained by this webinar, and these problems can be used as material to engage students with examples familiar to them. At the end of the webinar you’ll be given the opportunity to download an application containing all of the examples that we demonstrate.