The document compares the speed and acceleration of sprinter Usain Bolt and a Northrop T-38 Talon jet aircraft over 60m and 100m distances using mathematical simulations and graphs. The graphs show that while Bolt has an explosive start and wins the 60m by 0.2 seconds, his maximum speed is around 12m/s whereas the aircraft maintains a constant acceleration of 3m/s^2, allowing it to win the 100m by 1.3 seconds. Overall, the race between the fastest human and the supersonic jet is concluded to end in a draw.

1. Speed, acceleration and Usain
Bolt
DrVassilios Spathopoulos

2. Race of the Century: Usain Bolt vs
Aircraft
Usain Bolt
Fastest man on Earth
World record in 100 m, 9.58 s!
Northrop T-38 Talon
Jet trainer
Supersonic!
Image credits: "Usain Bolt 200 m final Daegu 2011" by Erik van Leeuwen, attribution: Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia). - www.erki.nl. Licensed under GFDL
via Wikimedia Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usain_Bolt_200_m_final_Daegu_2011.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Usain_Bolt_200_m_final_Daegu_2011.jpg
"T-38 560FTS RandolphAFB 2001" by Photographer's Name: SSGT Jeffrey Allen, USAF - U.S. Defenseimagery.mil photo no. 011113-F-2171A-020 (DF-SD-
03-05096). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T-
38_560FTS_RandolphAFB_2001.jpeg#mediaviewer/File:T-38_560FTS_RandolphAFB_2001.jpeg

3. A virtual race
•One can use advanced mathematics to simulate the
performance of Bolt and an aircraft
•Graphs can then be produced that compare the two (Bolt
is the one with the lighter colour)
•We can see how they do over 60 m and 100 m (the two
main sprinting events)
•Can use the graphs to study the kinematics (i.e. speed
and acceleration)

4. Analysis
•Look at the next three graphs
•They give us distance, speed and acceleration
•Try and understand them, see what they are saying
to us!

5. Distance results

6. Speed results

7. Acceleration results

8. What are the graphs telling us
 Usain Bolt starts with an explosive acceleration, almost equal to g
(the acceleration of gravity)!
 This enables him to win the 60 m section of the race by 0.2 s
 But alas, human power has its limits..
 He reaches a maximum speed of about 12 m/s that he cannot
surpass
 Aircraft maintains almost constant acceleration of about 3 m/s2
 This enables it to win the 100 m by 1.3 s
The overall race is a draw!