Outline for 1st term paper

Physics in “Avatar: The Last Airbender”

I. Introduction

a) Film: Animated TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender”

b) Introduce idea of Bending—manipulative control of elements (water, earth, fire, air)

c) Thesis: Most objects and actions NOT associated with bending follow “our” natural laws of physics.  Most objects associated with bending deliberately break them.

II. Body

A. Falling, jumping and flying

            1. Realistic depictions

                        •Sokka falls in a parabolic arc after stepping off a ledge

•Non-airbenders use gliders to fly via thermal air patterns around the Northern Air Temple

•The Omashu mail system sled slows out as it begins to slide down the chute/slope

            2. Non Realistic depictions

                        •Sokka’s boomerang returns to him after it hits something

•It appears that Appa flies by being lighter than air (floating), but it is established that he is heavy while on the ground.

•Aang uses airbending to jump many times higher than he should naturally be able to do (but follows parabolic arcs, so this goes in both categories?)

B. Inertia

            1. Realistic depictions

•Characters are thrown against the side of the boat when it turns sharply

•Aang bends the elements (rocks) in an orbit around himself, and they fly straight away from him when he releases them (following inertia)

            2. Non Realistic depictions

•The Library sinks into sand as if it were water (the sand should be a balanced force opposing gravity at this point)

•objects—particularly with earth bending—accelerate instantaneously (without drag)

Characters traveling forward are knocked sideways and stop, without continuing to move forward

C. A new “Natural Force” exists (Bending power)

1. Bending does not necessarily follow the physics of our world, but does follow what we would consider logical

                        •Aang uses Airbending to change his trajectory mid-air

                        •Toph bends earth behind herself as a launching point to jump higher

                        •Heavier objects (like large rocks and lots of water) are harder to lift

                        •Fire exerts a physical force. Soldiers hit by a fireball are thrown back

•When Hama and Katara bend water out of trees and plants, the plants are left shriveled by its absence

2. Counter-Example

Objects expand (gain mass) without appropriate energy exchange (Eg. Aang’s glider, Jennamite rings). Even considering bending, this is not logical

III. Conclusion

If you subtract the “magic” (bending) effects, this series would have very believeable real-world physics, with just a few inconsistencies.