Question
What is the force exerted by Spiderman to stop a subway train?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The force exerted by Spider-Man to stop a subway train would depend on several factors, including the mass of the train and its speed just before Spider-Man begins to apply the force.
To calculate the force, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:
\[ F = ma \]
where:
- \( F \) is the force,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object,
- \( a \) is the acceleration (in this case, the deceleration to stop the train).
1. **Estimate the mass of a subway train**: A typical subway train can weigh between 200,000 to 500,000 pounds (approximately 90,000 to 225,000 kg).
2. **Estimate the speed of the train**: Let's assume the train is moving at a typical speed of about 60 km/h (or approximately 16.67 m/s).
3. **Determine the stopping distance**: For a comic example, let’s say Spider-Man comes in at a distance that allows him to stop the train over a short distance, say around 10 meters.
4. **Calculate acceleration/deceleration**: We can use the kinematic equation:
\[ v^2 = u^2 + 2as \]
where:
- \( v \) is the final velocity (0 m/s, since the train stops),
- \( u \) is the initial velocity (16.67 m/s),
- \( a \) is the acceleration,
- \( s \) is the stopping distance (10 m).
Rearranging this gives:
\[ a = \frac{v^2 - u^2}{2s} \]
Substituting in the known values:
\[ a = \frac{0 - (16.67)^2}{2 \cdot 10} \]
\[ a = \frac{-278.0889}{20} \]
\[ a \approx -13.904445 \text{ m/s}^2 \]
5. **Calculate force**:
Now we can calculate the force assuming a mass of 200,000 kg for the train (for example):
\[ F = ma \]
\[ F = 200,000 \text{ kg} \cdot (-13.904445 \text{ m/s}^2) \]
\[ F \approx -2,780,889 \text{ N} \]
The negative sign indicates the direction of the force is opposite to the direction of motion.
In reality, in the comics, Spider-Man possesses superhuman strength, which means the actual force he could apply would be much greater than what would be feasible for a person.
This calculation is a simplification and assumes ideal conditions; reality would include additional factors like friction, structural integrity of the train, and the capacity of Spider-Man's strength.
To calculate the force, we can use Newton's second law of motion, which states:
\[ F = ma \]
where:
- \( F \) is the force,
- \( m \) is the mass of the object,
- \( a \) is the acceleration (in this case, the deceleration to stop the train).
1. **Estimate the mass of a subway train**: A typical subway train can weigh between 200,000 to 500,000 pounds (approximately 90,000 to 225,000 kg).
2. **Estimate the speed of the train**: Let's assume the train is moving at a typical speed of about 60 km/h (or approximately 16.67 m/s).
3. **Determine the stopping distance**: For a comic example, let’s say Spider-Man comes in at a distance that allows him to stop the train over a short distance, say around 10 meters.
4. **Calculate acceleration/deceleration**: We can use the kinematic equation:
\[ v^2 = u^2 + 2as \]
where:
- \( v \) is the final velocity (0 m/s, since the train stops),
- \( u \) is the initial velocity (16.67 m/s),
- \( a \) is the acceleration,
- \( s \) is the stopping distance (10 m).
Rearranging this gives:
\[ a = \frac{v^2 - u^2}{2s} \]
Substituting in the known values:
\[ a = \frac{0 - (16.67)^2}{2 \cdot 10} \]
\[ a = \frac{-278.0889}{20} \]
\[ a \approx -13.904445 \text{ m/s}^2 \]
5. **Calculate force**:
Now we can calculate the force assuming a mass of 200,000 kg for the train (for example):
\[ F = ma \]
\[ F = 200,000 \text{ kg} \cdot (-13.904445 \text{ m/s}^2) \]
\[ F \approx -2,780,889 \text{ N} \]
The negative sign indicates the direction of the force is opposite to the direction of motion.
In reality, in the comics, Spider-Man possesses superhuman strength, which means the actual force he could apply would be much greater than what would be feasible for a person.
This calculation is a simplification and assumes ideal conditions; reality would include additional factors like friction, structural integrity of the train, and the capacity of Spider-Man's strength.