Physics Of Flash Barry Allen 
Dinesh Palety
AP Physics
Flash (Barry Allen) Flash is debatebly the fastest superhero in DC comic. All of his superpowers are based of him lightning speed. One of his essential powers is the ability to climb tall building from the outside! This seems odd because it is extremely difficult for any ordinary human being to find traction on the side of a building so how does the Scarlet Speedster do it? To find the answer, we must go to Newton’s third, law which states that every force applied comes with an equal opposing force. So while running, we apply force to the ground and the ground gives back equal and opposing force, allowing us to move forward. With every step we take, atoms rearrange their atomic structure to make sure our feet don’t go past the ground. The rearrangement is called friction. So to run incredibly fast, the Flash needs friction. But that still does not explain how he can run up a building because there is no friction when moving perpendicular to the surface.
If there is no friction, then he must lift off at high velocity on the ground to leap high enough in one step to get to the top of the building, similar to the Golden Age Superman. To find
2
the velocity he need to leap that high, we must use the equation v = 2gh, where g is the force of
gravity due to acceleration and h is the height traveled. Suppose the Flash bounces 2 cm for every step he takes, then he is airborne for ⅛ of a second. And if his horizontal speed is 3600 mph, then he travels over an eighth of a mile every step he takes. A skyscraper is approximately an eighth of a mile, which means that the Flash does not run on the side of the building but actually scales it in one leap.
Keep in mind that for this to be physically possible, you have to be incredibly fast. In other words, it is not possible. Therefore, for this to be real, you must exempt the miracle of being able to project over and eighth of a mile in a single step.
AP Physics
Flash (Barry Allen) Flash is debatebly the fastest superhero in DC comic. All of his superpowers are based of him lightning speed. One of his essential powers is the ability to climb tall building from the outside! This seems odd because it is extremely difficult for any ordinary human being to find traction on the side of a building so how does the Scarlet Speedster do it? To find the answer, we must go to Newton’s third, law which states that every force applied comes with an equal opposing force. So while running, we apply force to the ground and the ground gives back equal and opposing force, allowing us to move forward. With every step we take, atoms rearrange their atomic structure to make sure our feet don’t go past the ground. The rearrangement is called friction. So to run incredibly fast, the Flash needs friction. But that still does not explain how he can run up a building because there is no friction when moving perpendicular to the surface.
If there is no friction, then he must lift off at high velocity on the ground to leap high enough in one step to get to the top of the building, similar to the Golden Age Superman. To find
2
the velocity he need to leap that high, we must use the equation v = 2gh, where g is the force of
gravity due to acceleration and h is the height traveled. Suppose the Flash bounces 2 cm for every step he takes, then he is airborne for ⅛ of a second. And if his horizontal speed is 3600 mph, then he travels over an eighth of a mile every step he takes. A skyscraper is approximately an eighth of a mile, which means that the Flash does not run on the side of the building but actually scales it in one leap.
Keep in mind that for this to be physically possible, you have to be incredibly fast. In other words, it is not possible. Therefore, for this to be real, you must exempt the miracle of being able to project over and eighth of a mile in a single step.