January 23, 2008

Time: 11:50am

chapter06.tex

ANSWER: This is very similar to the previous question.

Since the work done by Spider-Man to stop the train

is equal to the trains initial kinetic energy, we need
to estimate the mass and velocity of the train. We will
then need to estimate the stopping distance in order to
calculate the force exerted.
A subway car is about the same size and weight as
a semi-trailer (18-wheeler) truck. This is between 10
and 40 tons. Well use 20 tons (or 2 104 kg). There
are six cars on a train so that the mass of the train is
6 2 104 kg = 105 kg. They certainly go faster than
20 mph and slower than 100 mph. Since it is not that
far between subway stops, subways travel at only about
40 mph (20 m/s). Thus, the kinetic energy of a subway
train is
1
KE = mv 2 = 0.5 105 kg (20 m/s)2
2
= 2 107 J
Now we need to figure out the stopping distance.
There are 20 blocks per mile in Manhattan. Thus, 10 or
20 blocks is about 1 km or 103 m. (Its certainly more
than 100 m and less than 10 km.) Thus, Spider-Man
needs to exert a force
KE
2 107 J
F =
=
d
103 m
= 2 104 N
A force of 2 104 N is the weight of 2000 kg or
2 tons. For a superhero who can lift cars, this is quite
possible (although definitely not easy). A human could
definitely not do it.
Wow! Hollywood got the physics correct, in a
superhero movie no less! Hurray!

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Chapter 6 Energy and Work