10 Unbelievable Cartoon Scenes That Incorporate Real Physics

It may seem unusual to turn to cartoons for insights into the physical laws that shape our reality, but amidst the chaotic antics, over-the-top explosions, improbable chases, and utterly implausible action sequences, cartoons occasionally nail physics. The exaggerated nature of animated actions often makes it simpler to observe forces in motion. Sometimes, it’s just a clever nod to quantum mechanics.

These 10 instances from our beloved cartoons highlight moments when the whimsical rules of cartoon logic align with the genuine laws of physics (while maintaining their quirky charm).

10: The Flash Utilizes Quantum Tunneling

On multiple occasions, the Flash has utilized his super-speed abilities to vibrate his molecules, allowing him to pass through seemingly impenetrable objects. What’s the explanation behind this? It’s a far-fetched extension of a phenomenon called quantum tunneling.

Quantum tunneling refers to the ability of extremely small particles, typically electrons, to pass through thin barriers that would otherwise be impassable. This phenomenon is rooted in quantum mechanics, which describes how particles behave at microscopic scales. Specifically, it relies on the principle of particle-wave duality—at quantum levels, particles exhibit characteristics of both particles and waves. It’s impossible to pinpoint a particle’s exact location; instead, it exists as a probability cloud. When a particle encounters a thin barrier, there’s a slight chance it could appear on the other side. With enough particles, some will inevitably be found beyond the barrier when measured. Despite the term, they don’t physically tunnel through; they simply manifest on the opposite side. This isn’t just theoretical—electron tunneling microscopes use this principle to capture incredibly detailed images by measuring tunneling electrons.

How does this apply to the Flash? Quantum effects don’t operate on macroscopic scales. In other words, entire objects can’t quantum tunnel through walls. Presumably, the Flash vibrates his molecules to increase the likelihood of each one appearing on the other side of the barrier. While the idea is grounded in real science, there’s no feasible way for a large object to quantum tunnel through something as substantial as a wall.

9: Futurama's St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl

In the episode "The Route of All Evil," the "Futurama" crew embarks on a quest to find quality beer. During their journey, they stumble upon St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl beer. This is a nod to the German-brewed St. Pauli Girl beer, famous for its logo depicting a blonde woman in traditional attire.

More significantly, it references the Pauli Exclusion Principle, a quantum physics law introduced by physicist Wolfgang Pauli (an Austrian, not German) in 1925. This principle states that particles with a specific type of spin (an inherent property of quantum particles) cannot share the same quantum state.

Although understanding quantum states and particle spin can be challenging, the effects of the exclusion principle are straightforward to observe. Without it, elements like oxygen, copper, plutonium, hydrogen, carbon, and others on the periodic table wouldn’t exist with their unique properties. Without these elements, the universe would be devoid of most matter. This is due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which compels electrons to occupy distinct energy levels, or shells, around an atom’s nucleus. These varying energy levels are what赋予元素不同的特性，使它们能够相互作用，形成新元素并引发化学反应。Thanks, St. Pauli Exclusion Principle Girl!

8: Wall-E's Fire Extinguisher Propulsion System

In a desperate bid to escape a self-destructing pod, Wall-E employs a fire extinguisher as a propulsion mechanism, launching himself to safety. This clever move relies on Newton’s third law of motion, often summarized as, "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." More precisely, forces arise from interactions between two objects, and these interactions result in equal forces exerted in opposite directions. For instance, a bat exerts force on a baseball, and the baseball exerts an equal force back on the bat, but in the opposite direction. The apparent difference in movement stems from Newton’s second law of motion (a=F/m, often expressed as F=ma), which demonstrates that objects with greater mass accelerate less. When a tennis ball bounces off a brick wall, the wall does move, but its immense mass means the acceleration is negligible.

In Wall-E’s scenario, the two interacting objects were Wall-E himself (along with the fire extinguisher he was gripping firmly) and the pressurized gas inside the extinguisher. When he triggers the extinguisher, the gas is expelled with a specific force, and an equal force propels Wall-E in the opposite direction.

Is this feasible? While fire extinguishers differ in gas volume and pressure levels, it’s entirely plausible that a sizable extinguisher could launch Wall-E at remarkable speeds, particularly given his relatively low mass.

7: Heat Death and the Big Bang on Futurama

In the episode "The Late Philip J. Fry," Fry and his companions travel billions of years into the future to witness the universe's end, where stars and galaxies explode and fade into oblivion. This aligns somewhat with the "heat death" theory, where matter and energy become so evenly distributed that interactions cease. Professor Farnsworth’s remark, "There's the last proton decaying," is questionable, as most physics models suggest protons do not decay.

However, the universe’s end isn’t the finale for our characters. They observe a new Big Bang and the birth of a new universe, which unfolds identically to the previous one (even Leela waits for a perpetually tardy Fry in the same restaurant). While the Big Bang concept is broadly accurate, "Futurama" doesn’t portray it correctly. The Big Bang wasn’t an explosion within space; it was the expansion of space itself from an infinitely dense point. Observing it externally would require being outside the universe, which Fry, Farnsworth, and Bender clearly aren’t, as they return home.

The cyclical death and rebirth of the universe align with certain cosmological theories, though the mechanisms vary. Often, the universe might collapse back into a singularity rather than experiencing heat death, leading to another Big Bang and restarting the cycle.

6: Classic Superman Battles on an Inclined Plane

The iconic 1940s Superman cartoons from Fleischer Studios established the foundation for Superman’s pop culture legacy. "Look! Up in the sky!" A prime example of Superman defying physics is the episode "Billion Dollar Limited," where he halts a runaway train carrying the largest gold shipment in history. As the train races down a slope, Superman grabs the last car and pulls it uphill, showcasing a perfect example of an inclined plane.

When you apply force to an object or surface (such as standing on the ground), an equal and opposite force called the normal force is exerted. This force arises from the microscopic compression of atoms, which gives solid objects their rigidity. Crucially, the normal force always acts perpendicular to the surface.

On an inclined plane, like the slope the train descends, the train presses down on the slope due to gravity, and the normal force pushes back equally. These forces balance each other. However, gravity pulls the train directly downward, not perpendicular to the slope, so a portion of the gravitational force acts parallel to the slope, dragging the train downhill. This force can be calculated using the slope’s angle and the train’s weight, expressed by the equation F = mg*sin Ɵ.

Two factors counteract this downward force: friction and Superman. Determining the exact force Superman needs to pull the train uphill is complex and beyond our scope (due to varying friction types and unknown train car weights). However, one thing is clear: The narrator isn’t exaggerating when he declares Superman is "more powerful than a locomotive."

5: Homer, His Potato Chips and Our New Ant Overlords Experience Weightlessness

In the iconic Simpsons episode "Deep Space Homer," Homer travels to space aboard the space shuttle. During orbit, he experiences genuine weightlessness. While Homer’s journey (along with his potato chips and ant companions) is scientifically accurate, common misconceptions about why astronauts and Homer float weightlessly in orbit might not be.

As you move farther from Earth, gravity’s influence diminishes. However, in Earth’s orbit, this reduction is slight, decreasing gravitational force by about 10 percent. Thus, the absence of gravity doesn’t fully explain why astronauts and Homer appear to float weightlessly.

So why does Homer float? It’s due to free fall. On Earth, you never directly feel gravity. It’s a force that acts at a distance and is imperceptible. You only sense contact forces, like a dodgeball hitting your shoulder or the ground pushing against your feet (known as the normal force). If all contact forces were removed, you’d feel weightless, even though your weight and the gravitational force acting on you remain unchanged. You experience a hint of this on a roller coaster during a sharp ascent. In orbit, astronauts are in a constant state of free fall, as if perpetually going over the top of a roller coaster. They’re falling, but the space shuttle is falling alongside them, creating a continuous free fall around Earth. Without contact forces, they don’t feel their weight and appear weightless.

4: Venture Brothers: Gargantua-1's Geosynchronous Orbit

In the episode "Careers in Science," Gargantua-1 is a colossal space station that’s seen better days. It’s said to have a geosynchronous orbit, though it’s unclear if it’s also geostationary. A geosynchronous orbit means the satellite matches Earth’s orbital period, crossing the same point in the sky (relative to an Earth observer) at the same time daily. However, it doesn’t necessarily stay fixed in one spot, as the satellite may orbit at an angle to the equator. To put it differently: As Earth rotates, a stationary observer moves west to east, while the satellite may move at a north-south angle (and isn’t always directly overhead). Since their orbital periods align, the satellite "meets" the same spot in the sky at the same time each day.

A geostationary orbit is a specific scenario where the satellite orbits above the equator, enabling it to stay fixed in the same spot in the sky. This idea is often attributed to science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.

In reality, a satellite (or space station) in geosynchronous or geostationary orbit must periodically use thrusters to maintain its correct position. SPOILER ALERT: This might explain why Gargantua-1, in severe disrepair and facing an issue possibly linked to urine, eventually loses orbit and crashes.

3: Olaf Survives a Long Fall in 'Frozen'

Olaf, our beloved and bewildered snowman, encounters plenty of physics throughout Disney’s "Frozen," from falling and tumbling to sliding and crashing into various objects.

Despite being made of snow, Olaf is largely treated as a solid entity. When he falls off a cliff, he initially accelerates due to gravity. Earth’s gravitational force pulls him downward, and we can calculate this using Newton’s second law, a=F/m. Although Olaf, being made of snow, is likely less dense than solid ice, all objects in free fall accelerate at the same rate, regardless of mass. Eventually, he reaches terminal velocity, where air resistance balances gravitational acceleration, halting further acceleration. Terminal velocity depends not on mass but on shape—more spread-out shapes increase drag, lowering terminal velocity. This principle explains how parachutes work: they don’t reduce weight but increase drag to slow descent.

When Olaf lands at the cliff’s base, he undergoes deceleration (a form of acceleration). Could a living snowman survive such a fall? Fortunately for Olaf, a thick layer of snow cushions his landing. This spreads out his deceleration over a slightly longer time compared to hitting solid concrete, significantly reducing the force’s impact. This is similar to how car airbags slow down your body’s deceleration during a crash, minimizing injury.

2: Mr. Incredible Stops Crooks' Car With a Tree, Crooks Keep Going

To stop a group of thieves, Mr. Incredible places a tree trunk in front of their speeding car. The car crashes to a stop, but the criminals continue moving forward until they collide with the dashboard and windshield, rendering them helpless. This demonstrates Newton’s first law, which states that an object will remain in its current state of motion unless acted upon by an external force. Often summarized as, "An object at rest stays at rest; an object in motion stays in motion," it’s also known as the law of inertia.

This law can seem unintuitive at first because, on Earth, invisible forces like friction and gravity constantly act on objects, making it appear as though Newton’s first law is violated. For example, if you throw a ball, shouldn’t it keep moving forever? In space, it would, but on Earth, air resistance slows it down, and gravity eventually pulls it to the ground, where friction brings it to a complete stop.

In the case of the car’s occupants, they’re propelled forward by the normal force of their seatbacks. When Mr. Incredible stops the car suddenly, the criminals continue moving forward due to inertia. However, it’s not air resistance or gravity that halts them—it’s the solid dashboard and windshield. These objects exert a force on the criminals, stopping their motion and, in this case, causing physical harm due to the abrupt deceleration.

1: Woody Dangles From His Pullstring in 'Toy Story 3'

This moment from "Toy Story 3" cleverly parodies the iconic "Mission Impossible" ceiling drop scene. Here, Woody dangles from a tree, snagged by his pull string. As the string retracts, it triggers his built-in voice recording. The physics involved is simple—we’re analyzing the net forces acting on Woody to understand his movement.

Initially, Woody is in free fall, accelerating downward due to gravity. When the string catches on the tree, a new force opposes gravity: the tension in the string pulls him upward. For a moment, the tension equals the gravitational force, leaving Woody suspended and motionless. The net forces on him are balanced.

Then, a mechanism inside Woody activates, likely a spring that retracts the string. This spring adds extra tension to the string (we can consider the spring part of Woody when analyzing forces). The increased tension surpasses gravity, causing Woody to accelerate upward. However, he soon stops accelerating and rises at a steady speed, indicating the forces have balanced again. The spring must have provided an initial burst of force to get him moving.