Physics FAIL in the Avengers movie? (SPOILER ALERT)

[her209]

I was watching the ending of Avengers tonight and I noticed a physics FAIL. After Ironman redirects the nuclear missile through the portal, he lets go and starts falling back to Earth. Except, if you'll notice, he's in freaking space where the effect of gravity is minimal. Even if he were "falling", his rate of free fall would not be fast enough for him to fall through the portal before it closed.

 

[KaOTiK]

Who is to say the portal doesn't generate some gravity on its own.
Can't believe you even questioned this in a super heroes movie lol

 

[Powermoloch]

wait what?!?

 

[Printer Bandit]

i'd like to see a superhero movie where the superhero dies in the first 5 minutes and the rest of the movie is about WTF just happened.

 

[Soccerman06]

i'd like to see a superhero movie where the superhero dies in the first 5 minutes and the rest of the movie is about WTF just happened.

Does watchmen count?

 

[totalnoob]

He was not that far away from earth, despite being through the portal. Gravity still would have leaked through into space on the other side.

 

[TXHokie]

My physics question is: Can Thor fly? Or does he throw the hammer and goes wherever it go? How does he steer? Just wondering.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

Lol, out of everything in the movie this is the one thing you pick? How about Hulk stopping a monster 100x his size?

 

[Newbian]

My physics question is: Can Thor fly? Or does he throw the hammer and goes wherever it go? How does he steer? Just wondering.

He can hover without the hammer as long as I believe it's nearby / in the same dimension but to fly around he uses the hammer although the spinning is just to get him off the ground.

At least in the movie it is as in other shows / comics he needs to use it like a helicopter to hover and in others he can fly without it.

 

[Vic Vega]

I was watching the ending of Avengers tonight and I noticed a physics FAIL. After Ironman redirects the nuclear missile through the portal, he lets go and starts falling back to Earth. Except, if you'll notice, he's in freaking space where the effect of gravity is minimal. Even if he were "falling", his rate of free fall would not be fast enough for him to fall through the portal before it closed.

I don't think you understand physics the way you think you do.

 

[Northern Lawn]

How about Hulk stopping a monster 100x his size?

ANd his pants not breaking apart when he transforms into Hulk.

 

[Puppies04]

So there is a giant freaking portal to another part of the universe open above earth which thousands of aliens just used to invade us and you are worried about the "realism" of the gravity???

 

[TheVrolok]

The fail is questioning the realism of the physics in a superhero movie.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Your mistake is somehow assuming that in space, the effect of gravity is minimal. I assume you also think the planets are kept in orbit around the sun by magic and the power of Jesus

 

[her209]

I don't think you understand physics the way you think you do.

What should have happened was after letting go, Ironman should have continued along the same path per Newton's 1st Law as the missile and slammed right into the alien ship.

 

[Fingolfin269]

I'm so glad that when I watch this type of film I'm able to completely separate fantasy/fiction from reality and enjoy myself.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

What should have happened was after letting go, Ironman should have continued along the same path per Newton's 1st Law as the missile and slammed right into the alien ship.

Um, no. The missile has constant thrust. Scientists don't actually know how gravity propagates through space and so there is reason to believe that gravity could easily be leaking through the portal and causing everything around it to fall toward it.

So unless you have a better understanding of gravity than the top physicists of the world, you're wrong.

 

[her209]

Your mistake is somehow assuming that in space, the effect of gravity is minimal. I assume you also think the planets are kept in orbit around the sun by magic and the power of Jesus

Ironman isn't a planet.

 

[TheVrolok]

What should have happened was after letting go, Ironman should have continued along the same path per Newton's 1st Law as the missile and slammed right into the alien ship.

Just for giggles ... So you're assuming that the Earth would be exerting no gravitational force through the portal?

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Ironman isn't a planet.

So the millions of 1-10 mm pieces of metal and debris held in high earth orbit are also staying there by magic?

 

[her209]

So the millions of 1-10 mm pieces of metal and debris held in high earth orbit are also staying there by magic?

And yet they stay in orbit much longer than the time it took Ironman to fall to Earth.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

And yet they stay in orbit much longer than the time it took Ironman to fall to Earth.

They have very high tangential velocity. Ironman doesn't.

Now again, why wouldn't Earth gravity propogate through the portal? Is there some sort of physical explanation that only you know but not astrophysicists?

 

[foghorn67]

The hovering aircraft carrier didn't bother you?
I think you fail to sense the gravity of this situation.
The fact it's a movie based on comic books should give it more levity,

I heavily rely on compartmentalizing my logic and imagination.

 

[her209]

They have very high tangential velocity. Ironman doesn't.

Now again, why wouldn't Earth gravity propogate through the portal? Is there some sort of physical explanation that only you know but not astrophysicists?

LOL. Physics 101 kid. Velocity is directional.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

LOL. Physics 101 kid. Velocity is directional.

That didn't even refute my first point.

Also, stop not answering my second point.