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Bad Science in Movies

Purpose

Calculate the angle and speed required for the bus to jump a 50-foot gap in the road.

Background

In the 1994 movie "Speed", the bus driven by Sandra Bullock is confronted with a missing 50-foot section of an overpass bridge, so the driver speeds up to jump the gap.

Procedure

Note the speed of the bus as it approaches the gap and convert to m/s. This is the initial horizontal velocity. Convert the fifty-foot span into meters.

Remember that all projectiles have a horizontal and a vertical component. The horizontal component (x) is a function of the projectile’s horizontal velocity. The vertical component (y) is a function of gravitational velocity, i.e., 9.8 m/s/s.

Data and Analysis

Create and complete a "Projectiles Spreadsheet", using Acceleration = 9.8 m/s/s and the recorded time interval (s) that the bus was in the air.

Set up the chart with the following columns:

Time (s) y Velocity (m/s) Velocity (m/s) y (m) Distance (m) x (m)

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