Could Hercules Have Destroyed the Marketplace?

Authors

  • Patrick Conboy The Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, University of Leicester
  • George Harwood The Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, University of Leicester
  • Siobhan Parish The Centre for Interdisciplinary Science, University of Leicester

Keywords:

Film, Mythology, Physics, Mechanics, Hercules

Abstract

This paper explores the physics behind a scene in the Disney animation 'Hercules' in which the Demi-God destroys a whole market place by colliding with a pillar and, in an attempt to salvage the situation, causes a domino effect of destruction. By modelling the pillars on a Tuscan Order model, the physical force required to cause such devastation is calculated using simple force equations. Ultimately, what is shown in the film is fantasy as a man of the average weight 75 kg would be unable to generate the required amount of force without being at an extremely high speed.

References

Disney (1997) Hercules. Available: http://www.netflix.com/WiPlayer?movieid=1171557&trkid=50361908. [Accessed 10/03/2015].

Palladio, A. (2015) Tuscan Order. Available: http://www.buffaloah.com/a/DCTNRY/t/tuscan.html [Accessed 10/03/2015].

Ackerman, J.S. (1983) The Tuscan/Rustic Order: A Study in the Metaphorical Language of Architecture, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 42, 1, pp. 15-34.

Franck, C.G.H. (2001) The Tuscan Order. Available: http://shop.columns.com/classical-orders-tuscan.aspx [Accessed 10/03/2015].

Engineering Toolbox (2015) Densities of Miscellaneous Solids. Available: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/density-solids-d_1265.html [Accessed 10/03/2015].

Physics StackExchange (2013) What amount of force is needed to topple a person? Available: http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/49926/what-amount-of-force-is-needed-to-topple-a-person [Accessed 10/03/2015].

Nave, R. (2015) Torque. Available: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/torq.html [Accessed 10/03/2015].

NHS (2013) Height/weight chart. Available: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/healthy-living/Pages/height-weight-chart.aspx [Accessed 10/03/2015].

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How to Cite

Conboy, P., Harwood, G., & Parish, S. (2017). Could Hercules Have Destroyed the Marketplace?. Journal of Interdisciplinary Science Topics, 4. Retrieved from https://journals.le.ac.uk/index.php/jist/article/view/771

Issue

Vol. 4 (2015)

Section

Articles

License

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.  All content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY 4.0).