The number of physics problems hidden in Star Wars movies is much greater than you think. Oh, don't worry. I know it's just a movie and not one that really focuses on science. That won't stop me from looking at something from The Empire Strikes Back—the introduction of the TIE bomber.

For a human like me who grew up on Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back was super cool (and also one of the top three Star Wars movies of all time). In the prequel A New Hope, we see only two kinds of TIE fighters—the plain kind and Darth Vader's special TIE fighter. But then we get to see the TIE bomber.

What the heck is a TIE bomber? It's a TIE fighter that drops bombs ... in space. Yes, right there you might say these things are dumb. Or you could just chill out and realize that this is the equivalent of a WWII bomber. That's what it's like.

If you want, you can get together with your friends to debate the merits of a bomber in space. For me, I'm just going to do some physics. This is going to be great.

A Plane Dropping a Package

Let's start with a classic physics problem. A plane is flying along on a level path at a constant speed of 20 m/s at an altitude of 20 meters. The plane then drops a box of supplies to some people on the ground. If the plane drops the box at x = 0 meters, where does the box land? Assume there is no air resistance.

You can solve that problem if you like, but I really want to use it to ask a different question that doesn't involve math. Also, it's multiple-choice (everyone loves multiple-choice questions). The question is this: If you were able to see this box dropping from a plane (with a smoke trail), which of the following animations would correctly show the path of the dropped box?

Option A

Option B