[Phys-L] Re: Analyzing movies: Speed, with Keanu Reeves

[Chuck Britton <britton@NCSSM.EDU>]

At 3:52 PM -0800 2/10/05, Marc Kossover wrote:
> My favorites (besides "Speed")

> "The Italian Job"
>
> The new version. It isn't too hard to calculate how
> much gold is in the cars and that it pretty much
> doubles the mass of the car. The speed is displayed on
> screen and so you can figure the amount of centripetal
> force necessary to make the turns. Guess what, not
> many tires are up to the task.

If I remember correctly - that Cooper mini (S) had been 'tricked out'
to handle the increased load etc.

Perhaps they remembered from high school physics that cornering
ability is somewhat independent of mass - because of the greater
normal force.

It may well be true that 'not many' tires are up to the task - but
they only needed FOUR of those tires.

This particular episode requires ZERO 'suspension of disbelief'.