Can That Really Happen?
Physics of the Movies
Second Quarter – Term Project
We love the movies with their action-packed bigger than life special effects. What is your favorite
action movie scene? Is it The General Lee jumping across a canyon in The Dukes of Hazard or Ewan
McGregor and Scarlett Johansson falling from a sign in The Island? In this term project, you can have
the opportunity to show your favorite action scene from a movie or television show to the class and
explain the physics behind it.
The project will be composed of Three Sections:
 A written analysis of the scene with diagrams.
 An oral presentation of the science in class. You
will show the clip and then explain the physics.
 A Physics Ranking of the movie based on your
general observations.
The physics written analysis should include the following:
1. A detailed description of the scene. This is to explain what is happening and set the stage for
your analysis. All you are doing is explaining in everyday language what is happening.
2. A rewriting of the scene utilizing physics concepts (this is what you will say in your
presentation). You will need to use your physics vocabulary – velocity, acceleration, force,
friction, momentum, free fall, energy, etc.
3. An analysis of the scene – you will use clues in the movie clip to calculate and analyze the
reality of the scene. Use your knowledge of mechanics to describe the movie. Are there clues
in the movie that tell you about distance and time? If there are no clues, use a stopwatch to
measure time and estimate distances. Look in the background for clues. Use equations to relate
position, velocity, and acceleration. Be as quantitative as possible, it is ok to guesstimate as
long as it seems logical. Give some typical velocities, accelerations, and force that the
characters in the movie may be experiencing. .
4. Create a sketch or drawing of movie scene: Make a representation of the scene showing the
forces and acceleration that are present. Some scenes may need more than one sketch to fully
explain what is going on. Try to represent the movement of the character and indicate changes
in position or forces during the event. Also include a free-body diagram(s) to show the forces
on the character of object in the scene.
The Classroom Presentation:
1. You will have the DVD cued to the scene or have the scene for the DVD identified.
2. Before showing the movie give a brief overview of the movie and a rating based on the physics
of the movie. Use the Movie Physics Rating System.
3. Show your clip – remember, the clip should be short and only show what you are analyzing.
You provide the DVD. No purchase necessary – go to the library!!
4. Explain the physics of the clip – good or bad. If you use a DVD, you can stop the clip at any
point and diagram the physics as part of the explanation.
5. Another option is to create a powerpoint of your presentation and put the clip in the
powerpoint.
This is a single-person assignment. Each component the presentation and the write up are 30 points
each. The Ratings review is 20 points.
 The written analysis with diagrams
 The classroom presentation
 Ratings Review.
See the grading rubric for more detail.
Schedule: The Presentations will begin the week after we come back from vacation.
The Movie PHYSICS RATING SYSTEM
http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/mpmain.html
In the name of physics decency, to protect the minds of children everywhere, so that they may grow up
in a world where they know the difference between speed and velocity, we have taken the
responsibility to rate movies for their portrayal of excessively bad physics. The system is as follows:
 GP = Good physics in general
 PGP = Pretty good physics (just enough flaws to be fun)
 PGP-13 = Children under 13 might be tricked into thinking the physics were pretty good;
parental guidance is suggested
 RP = Retch
 XP = Obviously physics from an unknown universe
 NR = Unrated. When a movie is obviously a parody, fantasy, cartoon or is clearly based on a
comic book it can't be rated but may still have some interesting physics worth discussing.
Have fun with this assignment!! It is for you to showcase your understanding of physics and to be able
to distinguish between the “movies” and reality!!
Exemplar Physics Analysis from The Core
The premise of The Core is that the earth’s core has stopped spinning resulting in the loss of the earth’s
magnetic field. The loss of the field results in many catastrophes on the surface of the earth. A group
of scientists journey to the earth’s core to get it started again. While the idea that the movement of the
earth’s core causes the earth’s magnetic field is based on science, almost everything else in the movie
is scientifically ridiculous. I give the movie a physics rating of RP.
The scene I have selected to analyze involves the shuttle Endeavor’s return to the surface of the earth.
The scene opens with the shuttle orbiting the earth in satellite motion. The thrusters are fired to change
the direction of the ship applying a force to create acceleration. The thrusters have to fire again to stop
the rotation of the ship. The captain of the ship is apparently weightless as he moves to his seat. He
requires an outside force from another crewmember to accelerate him so he doesn’t hurt himself. I am
concerned that he would have been hurt badly during the acceleration of the ship when the thrusters
fired. I didn’t see the main rocket fire to reduce the velocity of the ship, causing it to fall out of orbit.
If it had fired before the captain was in his seat, he would have been in big trouble. As the ship enters
the earth’s atmosphere, the frictional force between the shuttle and the air results in heating of the
surface of the shuttle.
Due to the change in the earth’s magnetic field, the shuttle is 129 (208 km) miles off course, heading
into LA. It seems unlikely to me that the only guidance for the shuttle would be a compass. The
dialogue of the movie states the velocity of the shuttle is 300 knots. Using a conversion program
(http://www.onlineconversion.com/), I found that 300 knots is equal to 150 m/s. I timed the period
from when the shuttle touched down in the river until it stopped was 80 seconds. Since the final
velocity of the shuttle was 0 m/s, the acceleration of the shuttle in the river was
a = V /  t = (Vf – Vi)/  t = (0 – 150 m/s) / 80 s = about -2 m/s2
An acceleration of –2 m/s2 is pretty reasonable and would not have killed the crew. From the website,
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/endeavour.html, I found the shuttle weight on
earth to be 172,000 lb. That converts to a mass of 58,000 kg. That means the frictional force slowing
the shuttle in the river would be F = ma = Ff = 78,000 kg (-2 m/s2) = -156,000 N opposing the motion
of the shuttle.
The part that looked the most unbelievable was sandwiching the shuttle in between two bridges. A
velocity of 150 m/s in the horizontal direction seems too fast to go over one bridge and under the next
without slamming the shuttle down in the vertical direction.
Just before the shuttle came to a stop, the captain said “Lock your harnesses; it is out of my hands!” It
seems a bit late to be putting on your seat belt.
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School
Expectation
2a: Students will
employ creative
Thinking skills
Proficient Physics Criteria – A proficient score for each area is 4 points. Refer the Resourceful
Thinkers School-wide expectation for Exemplary, Developing, and Insufficient rankings.
Development and exploration
Generates effective and imaginative interpretations, solutions, or approaches to the movie scene dedicated
to physics interpretation.
Choice and judgment
Chooses appropriate criteria to judge the accuracy of the physics related to the scene
Synthesis
Adapts and transforms source materials for expressive and/or explanatory purposes
2b: Students will
employ critical
thinking skills
Reasoning and logic
Uses both inductive and deductive reasoning and makes associations between rhe movie physics and reality
Argument
Constructs clear arguments, well-defended against counter-arguments for the physics involved in the scene
2c: Students will
evaluate frames of
reference
Contexts
Explains ways in which details and facts in the scene make it true or unrealistic
Perspectives
Identifies underlying assumptions; analyzes ways that biases, interests, and
personal experiences may shape perceptions and interpretations
2d: Students
will make
meaningful
connections
Relationships
Identifies a variety of simple and complex physics relationships and perceives connections between reality
and movie processes, and events
Analysis
Uses a range of analytical tools to explain the relationships, develop insights and
Conclusions of the physics of the chosen scene.
2e: Students
will conduct
analytical
research.
General Quality
and Presentation
Information gathering
Uses a variety of means, including technology, to locate a range of relevant sources, and/or methods of
experimentation; assesses their relative reliability and validity
Analysis and Synthesis
Processes, organizes and derives meaning from information presented; identifies ways in
which data support or refute a physics of the chosen scene; synthesizes information to formulate
conclusions
Citations
Accurately attributes ideas and data to sources, using MLA format (APA when appropriate)
Overall appearance is appropriate. Project is presented in a formal manor and quality of work is level
appropriate.
Total Earned
Possible
Points
1-5
1-5
1-5
1-5
1-5
1-5
Paper
Present
Grading Rubric for Physics of Movie Scene
Task
Blockbuster
Hit
Bomb
The movie scene has
little physics content.
The scene is not
completely described.
Some of the major
physics concepts are not
recognized. The
language of physics that
describes motion, forces,
energy, and momentum
is not used correctly.
No equations are used to
describe the movie. The
analysis shows
significant
misconceptions in the
understanding of motion,
mass, or forces.
The free-body diagram is
missing some significant
forces. There is no
sketch or the sketch is
irrelevant to the analysis.
Description
with physics
concepts
(The
Presentation
and Written
analysis paper)
The movie scene is well
suited to evaluation of
physics content. The student
uses physics vocabulary to
describe the movie. All the
physics concepts are correctly
identified and expressed
using the language of
physics.
The movie scene has some
physics content. The
student correctly describes
the scene but does not use
the vocabulary of physics.
Most of the physics
concepts are identified.
Any errors are slight.
Detailed
analysis
The motion of the movie is
described accurately using
equations of motion. Typical
values of velocity,
acceleration, and force are
calculated and described.
The motion of the movie is
described accurately using
equations of motion. Any
errors in the analysis are
slight.
The free-body diagram shows
all forces on the object. A
sketch shows the initial and
final conditions of the scene
and helps to the reader to
understand the detailed
analysis.
A complete summary of the
description and analysis is
included in the summary.
All components of the
analysis are included in the
draft
The free-body diagram
shows most of the forces
on the object. The sketch
helps the reader to
understand the analysis.
Sketch and
Free-body
diagram
Written
Analysis
Rough Draft
A written analysis is
provided with most of the
major points included.
Many components are
considered
An incomplete summary
that was hastily prepared
is submitted.
Superficial analysis
Points
Self
Points
available Evaluation received
25
30
20
15
10
Self Evaluation – Justify your grade!!