3. Movie Stunt MATH: The Motorbike Jump

Star Stuntman

Star Stuntman Monte Perin (pictured) has involved many films, including “Spider-Man,” “Star Trek, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and portraying Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stunt double in “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.”

Perhaps his most difficult stunt was landing his Harley in an open boxcar of a moving train for Disney’s 2008 Adam Sandler movie “Bedtime Stories”. In a career of over 25 years Perin has broken “almost everything” including both his arms, legs, knees, feet, ankles, several ribs, his back and his pelvis. See Confessions of a stuntman

Veteran stuntman Evel Knievel (1938 – 2007) was the pioneer of many stunt jumps. Here he is jumping 10 cars and 3 vans in 1973.

His injuries are legendary:

More Evel Knievel

Ramp Design

The angle of the kicker in ramp design can vary from 10⁰ – 70⁰ (See below)

 

Moto-X Ramp Jump Maths

The Problem? 

If the ramp angle is too high, the stunt jumper also goes high, but doesn’t travel very far.

If the ramp angle is too low, the stunt jumper doesn’t stay in the air for very long and therefore doesn’t travel far. (see below0

The stunt jumper wants the OPTIMUM RAMP ANGLE.

……………………………………………………………………………

METHOD 1: TRIGONOMETRY (cos we can)

 

As any bike nut knows increasing speed at ake off will increase jump distance.

Here is a graph from final gear for speed vs angle to jump 90m.

OPTIMISING RAMP ANGLE

……………………………………………………………………………….

METHOD 2: MORE TRIGONOMETRY 

METHOD 1 is approximate (See STEP 1 & STEP 2 above), but as METHOD 2 produces the same ans (See above), it is very useful.

You will find a thoroughly detailed calc for STUNT JUMP MATHS here:

And everything you ever wanted to know about PHYSICS OF STUNT JUMPS here. 

Why Math Teachers should, um, speak proper!

Students can misunderstand teachers.

If math teachers mumble this is the result:

So I’m helping a Year 7 student. Smart kid. This is her test paper. 

NOTE: Students must hear terms clearly pronounced to learn them.

4. Too many different ways to do the same thing

The Complaint:…………………………………………………………

Too many different ways to do the same thing

………………………………………………………………………………………….

The Cause:……………………………………………………………….

Often, students , who are struggling with a concept, find it even more challenging when changing grades and/or schools because a new teacher uses a different method to the one they were taught.

eg. Long Division must have the most ridiculous number of methods for doing it.

Add a multi-cultural classroom and even more confusion results.

More maths news from around the world here.

eg. 2  Expand double brackets

1. X-multiply Method

This is the Method Mathspig taught students long, long ago.

2. Standard Method

Video tutorial from Me vs Maths here.

3. Grid Method

Video tutorial from 3 min Maths here.

The Solution:

Find the method that works for you. Stick with it and practice, practice, practice.

eg. Long Division

Here is the BEST EVER long division method

THE LEGO ARGUMENT:

It would be tragic IF  Lego blocks only had one solution. That is IF 6 Lego blocks could only be arranged in one way. In fact, the number of possibilities of arranging 6 blocks is MIND EXPLODING!