Measurement of upward force exerted by a human on a vertical jump?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the measurement of the upward force exerted by a human during a vertical jump, particularly in the context of developing a physics-based platform game. Participants explore the factors influencing this force and seek resources or methods to quantify it accurately.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the force exerted during a jump depends on the mass of the person, the gravitational potential (location), and the acceleration achieved during the jump, suggesting the use of Newton's second law (F=ma) for calculations.
  • Another participant challenges the realism of jumping mechanics in platformers, arguing that human jump heights are significantly lower than those depicted in games like Super Mario.
  • A suggestion is made to measure the force directly by standing on a scale while jumping, indicating a practical approach to understanding the force exerted.
  • A resource link is provided for further research on vertical ground reaction forces related to jumping.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of jump heights in platform games compared to real human capabilities, indicating a lack of consensus on the realism of game mechanics versus actual physics.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the complexities involved in accurately modeling jump forces, such as variations in individual capabilities and environmental factors.

heisenbergman
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Hi,

I'm doing some research on developing a physics-based platform game and I want to see how the gameplay will feel if the environment and physics were made to scale as realistically as possible.

Since one of the core features of a 2D platformer is jumping, I need some figures on how much force is actually exerted when a human jumps vertically.

Are there any resources regarding this?

Thanks!
 
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Well, first of all it depends on 1) the mass (in Kg) of the person jumping, 2) the gravitational potential that the person is jumping through (is he on the Earth, the moon, Mars?), and 3) the acceleration of the person due to the jump. After you've identified those parameters, I think all your going to need is Newton's handy old F=ma to get your answer. As far a resource related to gaming algorithms, I am unaware of any, but I'd imagine they exist "pre-fabbed" somewhere, its a common feature in many games even though I'm not a gamer.
 
It's not going to be much of a platformer if the character can't jump 2-3 times his height. A human can't even jump 5 feet in the air from standing, but Super Mario jumps 3 times his own height.

Anyway, why don't you stand on a scale and jump to see how much force you exert on the ground.
 

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