All I Ever Needed to Know About Physics I Learned from Road Runner Cartoons

The Cartoon Laws of Physics:

•Any body suspended in space will remain in space until made aware of its situation.

•Any body passing through solid matter will leave a perforation conforming to its perimeter.

•Everything falls faster than an anvil.

•All principles of gravity are negated by fear.•As speed increases, objects can be in several places at once.

The Real Laws of Physics:

•Newton’s Laws of Motion

•Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity

•Conservation of Energy

•Conservation of Momentum

•Conservation of Angular Momentum

Fan-Powered Ballon with Anvil

• This clip is rich with physics. Contrast the fan power to the fan powered sail clip. How should the balloon respond when the 500 lb anvil drops? When it rises rapidly? What object should hit the ground first?

Rolling Boulder

• Does the outcome obey conservation of energy? Is the path of the boulder after leaving the cliff realistic?

Fan Powered Sail

• Could this propulsion scheme work? Does it follow Newton’s 3rd Law? Would adding a sail to a propeller powered car work? Compare to the fan-powered balloon. Why couldn’t Coyote make the turn?

Giant Rubber Band

• Compare the force required to stretch the rubber band to that required to move the boulders. What is the ultimate source of this force? Is momentum conserved in the end?

Human Cannonball

• Blatant violation of Conservation of Momentum. It is similar to the Spring Punch clip. Is there anyway this could happen?

Log Tunnel

• Good static equilibrium demonstration. Strong evidence that Road Runner has much less mass than Coyote. One Road Runner couldn’t possibly nourish one Coyote.

Outboard Motor

• This clip is similar to the fan-powered sail. It ends with the Coyote going off yet another cliff. His path is horizontal until he comes to a stop. If only he wouldn’t look down! Some physicists call the horizontal part the NFD, No Falling Distance. Many students have the misconception that the NFD increases with initial speed.

Pendulum

• Although Coyote give the pendulum a small push, this is still a clear violation of Conservation of Energy. How does Road Runner know exactly where to stop?

Rock Fall

• Demonstration of the importance of knowing where the Center of Gravity is located. Good use of plumb bob and telescope is wasted.

Spring Launch

• The Coyote is thwarted by poor design this time. What could be the spring constant if the Coyote is able to compress it by pushing horizontally?

Spring Punch

• This one is similar to the Human Cannonball clip. Momentum is definitely not conserved.