Physics in TransformersBy Jaehyeon Ko

Summary: The Autobots and the Decepticons look for the All-Spark, the source of the robots lives, which is hidden on Earth. The humans join forces with the Autobots to defeat Decepticons and to destroy the cube.

Scenes Testing the energy of the cube (1:40) 1st battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron (2:00) Megatron flicks a human (2:07)

Testing the Energy of the Cube Topic: Conservation of Mass

Summary -The scientists in the movie transfers the energy of the All Spark into a cell phone and the cell phone transformed into a evil tiny robot.

Estimated Values Mass of the cell phone = 95 grams Mass of a bullet = 1 gram Mass of a missile = 3 grams

Calculations The Robot of 95 grams can shoot maximum 10 rounds of missiles (3 *

10) and 65 bullets (1 * 65) assuming that even the last portion of its mass can propel itself somehow to become a projectile.

Analysis/Conclusion (Rating XP) Every transformers in this movie, including the tiny evil one created in

this box for an experiment, have deadly projectile weapons that they can shoot very frequently. However, they never run out of ammunitions and don’t need to reload the ammunitions or any other types of materials.

If they do not reload, due to the law of conservation of mass, they would be using part of their body as a projectile but their size doesn’t decrease so the law of conservation does not apply to these robots.

Law of conservation of energy also does not apply because they have infinite energy but this can be explained through the god-like power of the cube that gives life to any machine.

1st Battle between Prime and Megatron Topic: Conservation of Momentum (inelastic collision)

Summary –Megatron shoots a rail-gun at Optimus Prime

Estimated Values Mass of Optimus Prime = 16,263 kg (peterbilt truck mass) Mass of projectile = 10kg Total displacement of Optimus Prime = 250m Total time during the displacement = 1.238s (taken with stopwatch)

Assume no air resistance and ignore y-component of the projectile motion.

Calculations

pi = pf mvi = mvf mvi = mp * vpi + mo * voi mvi = 10 * vpi + 16263 * 0 = 10 vpi

mvf = (mp + mo) * vf mvf = (10 + 16263) * (250 / 1.283) = 3.286 * 10^6

10 vpi = 3.286 * 10^6 vpi = 3.286 * 10^5 m/s

Analysis/Conclusion (Rating XP) movie vs real life The velocity of the projectile calculated (3.286 * 10^5 m/s) is simply

impossible to reach. The most powerful rail-gun that currently exist in our world, owned by

the US military or course, can shoot a 2kg projectile at 3000 m/s with energy of 9 megajoules. (Jan 2008)

The projectile in the movie does not penetrate Optimus Prime which is transformed from a truck even though it is fired at point-blank range.

Rail-gun in real life can easily penetrate any tank and go through it at range of 200 miles.

The rail-gun in the scene is fairly large with estimated length of 30 feet. Rail-gun in real life is size of our school’s science wing.

Megatron barely experiences recoil from shooting his rail-gun. Even if it is possible to create a rail-gun like the one in the movie, any

material that exist in our world will melt instantly when the projectile is shot and the rails will bend or snap.

Megatron Flicks a Human

Topic: Human tolerance against force

Summary –Megatron flicks a human for fun

Estimated Values Human Body Mass = 70 kg Total displacement of human = 10m Total time during displacement = 0.38s (taken with stopwatch) g=9.81m/s^2

Assume the time of acceleration is 0.01 s and ignore air resistance.

Calculations v = d / dt = 10 / 0.38 = 26.3158 m/s a = dv / dt = 26.3158 / 0.01 = 2.6316 * 10^3 m/s^2 179.8g = 1.7638 *10^3

Analysis/Conclusion (Rating XP) The person experiences almost instantaneous acceleration (or jerk) of 2.6316 *

10^3 m/s^2 when flicked by Megatron. He manages to scream while he is flying and then collides with a cab experiencing the same acceleration again. He maintains his original physical form without sign of injury.

In real life, the world record for the person who survived through most force has received 179.8g of force in a crash during a Formula One racing. However, he had many safety equipments that absorbed most of the impact and still barely survived.

If someone without any safety equipment undergoes an instantaneous acceleration of 2.6316 * 10^3 m/s^2 the person would most likely “pop” or get crushed on the spot. Even with the best safety equipment, the person would most likely die.

Works Cited

www.wikipedia.org www.youtube.com www.onlinestopwatch.com