Outline of the First Term Paper

Physics in “The Matrix”

I. Introduction – Free from the Matrix and free from the laws of physics
• a. Regular humans in the Matrix follow “normal” laws of physics, including gravity and time
• b. Those freed from the matrix can defy gravity
• c. Those freed from the matrix can also slow or stop time
• d. Thesis statement

II. Laws of gravity and time- If you are still enslaved by the Matrix, you fall at a normal rate and you cannot slow down time

• a. Police officers in opening scene
o Officers unable to shoot Trinity because she can slow time and they can’t
o Unable to jump across the building to the other building
• b. Neo’s jump test
o Neo falls similarly to a normal jump because he still believes in the reality of the matrix
• c. Gunfight with soldiers when Neo goes to rescue Morpheus

III. Free from the Matrix, free from the laws of gravity

• a. Trinity’s long jump across the buildings in the opening scene
o Trinity defies the laws of gravity by jumping a massive distance
• b. Fight scene between Neo and Morpheus
o Both Neo and Morpheus defy the laws of gravity with extra high jumps and staying in air for long periods of time
• c. Girl in Oracle’s house making wooden blocks float
• d. Neo and Agent Smith gunfight
• e. Neo flying at end of movie

IV. The laws of time twisted

• a. Trinity’s famous kick in the opening scene
o Trinity slows time to do that kick
• b. Fight scene between Neo and Morpheus
o Neo attacks Morpheus faster by speeding up the time of his attacks
• c. Neo’s bullet dodging scene
o Neo slows down time to dodge the bullets
• d. Neo making bullets stop in mid air at end

V. Conclusion

• a. Summarize points
• b. Restate thesis

Video analysis of path of action

This is the original video reference of the jump.






This is the tracked video reference.






This is the image of the plots of the jump.

Tracker video analysis of falling

This is an image of the tracker program graphing the motion of the falling ball.

Video Reference

The camera shoots at a frame rate of 30 frames per second.