Is the Physics in Ferris Bueller's Car Scene Realistic?

[jnursey]

Homework Statement

Ok so basically the project is to take a scene from a movie and explain the statics portrayed in the scene and explain if it was physicallt possible. The scene we chose was one from ferris buelers day off when Camerons dads car is placed on a jack and they try to reverse it to get the miles off of it. Cameron pushes the car off the jack and it reverses out of the house and into the woods. We were going to take all the forces and solve for the force needed from camerons foot to actually push off the car off the jack stand. The values and calculations DO NOT have to be exact or anything and the explanation can be somewhat broad. The first thing we did was find the forces (weight) on each axle of the car and the distances of everything. then we solved for the center of gravity and the force on the car from the jack stand on the back bumper. Now we need to use the concept of slip and tip to find the force needed from camerons foot to tip the car off the jack stand considering a frictional force ceoeficient in which we will find online (unless someone wants to help us with that). I will be adding more information as well as diagrams of what we have done so far with values for everything later tonight or tomorrow.

here is a video of the clip. we are not taking into account the angle the jack ends up on after the first few kicks but rather just taking it as if it was completely right side up until the last kick where it finally tips*

Homework Equations

Equations of equilibrium for forces in the x and y and the equation of equilibrium for moments.

The Attempt at a Solution

*will be posting later because i am busy at school*

 

[anathema]

Hi there! It sounds like you have a really interesting project on your hands. I can definitely appreciate your approach to using equations and principles of physics to analyze and explain the scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It's great that you are considering factors such as the weight of the car, the center of gravity, and the coefficient of friction. These are all important factors that can affect the outcome of the scene.

In terms of the feasibility of the scene, I think it's safe to say that it is not physically possible for Cameron to push the car off the jack stand with just his foot. In reality, the weight of the car and the friction between the tires and the ground would make it nearly impossible for one person to tip the car over like that. Additionally, the angle of the jack stand would also play a significant role in the amount of force needed to tip the car over.

However, as you mentioned, this is just a fun project and the values and calculations do not have to be exact. It's great that you are taking into account the angle of the jack stand and not just assuming that it is completely upright. I would suggest also considering the angle of the slope that the car is on as it rolls out of the house and into the woods. This would also affect the forces and momentum involved.

Overall, I think your approach to this project is very sound and I look forward to seeing your calculations and diagrams. It's always fun to apply scientific principles to real-life scenarios like this one. Good luck with your project!