Who would win if Dilophosaurus ran the 100m race against Usain Bolt?

Who would win if Dilophosaurus ran the 100m race against Usain Bolt?

Usain Bolt versus Dilophosaurus

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Scott Lee, who is a physics professor at the University of Toledo, has developed numerous learning activities to help intro-level students get enthusiastic about the topic. Meanwhile, his latest innovative activity, published in The Physics Teacher, by AIP Publishing, comes with an intriguing question: Is Usain Bolt faster than a 900-pound dinosaur – Dilophosaurus?

The fastest man of Earth, Bolt, has achieved a lot in his illustrious career, breaking and setting numerous records. The Jamaican sprinter holds the world record for the lowest timings in 100m as well as 200m sprints which came at the 2009 Berlin World Championships.

Coming to study, the conclusion of the physicist was based on a physics exercise he developed for his undergraduate students in introductory physics. Lee has loved dinosaurs ever since he was a kid, and would hunt for fossils with his family, and he has brought that love into the classroom.

How does Usain Bolt fare against a Dilophosaurus?

Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt

Notably, the 6-foot 5-inch Lightning Bolt is taller than the average sprinter, which means he takes fewer steps than his opponents when he runs.

“One big issue in physics education is to generate student enthusiasm for the course material,” Lee said. “These dinosaur problems really spark a lot of interest among the students.”

“A number of physics majors have, over the years, taken this general education course just because they think dinosaurs are so cool,” he added. “I then realized that physics majors would be excited to work on dinosaur examples of physics principles.”

“The maximum running speeds of the other dinosaurs were significantly different from Usain Bolt’s average speed and, therefore, would not make an interesting race,” he said. “Sadly, the more famous Tyrannosaurus rex is believed to have been slower than Usain Bolt.”

Also Read | The one world record which proved too difficult for Usain Bolt