Can a Fictional Superhero Create Shockwaves with a Punch?

In many works of fiction, we often see superheroes with extraordinary abilities, such as unmatched strength or speed. However, the concept of creating shockwaves with a single punch raises an interesting question: Can a fictional character truly generate such a phenomenon, and if so, how strong would this character need to be?

The Role of Strength and Speed

To create a shockwave, a fictional character would need to possess both significant strength and remarkable speed. A shockwave is essentially a wave of pressure that propagates through a medium due to a rapid disturbance. In real-world physics, this can be seen in the formation of shockwaves from explosions, as well as diving birds and even fighter jets during supersonic flight.

Practical Requirements for Shockwave Creation

For a fictional character to create a shockwave with a punch, they would need to move their arm at supersonic or hypersonic speeds. Supersonic speeds are those which exceed the speed of sound, while hypersonic speeds surpass Mach 5. In the case of an arm punch, the character would need to accelerate their fist from rest to these speeds within the limited distance of the arm's range.

Calculating the Necessary Acceleration

Let's analyze the required acceleration. If we assume the character extends their arm from fully back to fully forward, covering a distance of approximately 2 meters (6.56 feet), the acceleration needed to reach these speeds becomes significant.

Using the formula for acceleration, a v^2 / 2d, where v is velocity and d is distance, we can calculate the necessary acceleration.

Mach 1 (approximately 1235 km/h or 767 mph): To reach Mach 1, the acceleration required would be around 3000G. Mach 5 (approximately 6175 km/h or 3848 mph): To reach this speed, the acceleration needed would be on the order of 75000G.

For context, a human hand weighs around 0.5 kg (1.1 pounds). Therefore, the force needed to lift this hand to the required speeds equates to:

Mach 1: The character would need to be able to lift 1500 kg (3307 pounds) with one hand. Mach 5: The character would need to be able to lift 37500 kg (82675 pounds) with one hand.

This is equivalent to lifting a small car (approx 1500 kg) to lifting a small house (approx 37500 kg). Clearly, this is beyond human capabilities and would demand extraordinary physical traits from our fictional hero.

Real-World Comparisons

In reality, the creation of shockwaves like those associated with explosions is often observed. Detonation waves propagate at very high speeds, typically from 12,000 to 20,000 feet per second, depending on the explosive used. These phenomena require immense energy and occur within milliseconds.

Human arm speed is far more limited, generally reaching speeds of just over 100 mph (150 feet per second). This is a minuscule fraction of the speeds needed to create substantial shockwaves, demonstrating the unrealistic nature of creating awe-inspiring effects with mere physical strength.

Conclusion

The ability to create shockwaves with a single punch is an intriguing concept from the realm of fiction but demanding of physical properties far beyond the human norm. Our fictional heroes would need to possess superhuman strength and speed, reaching velocities that would require accelerations in the range of tens of thousands of G-forces. While this remains a compelling notion for storytelling, it underscores the importance of real-world physics and the limits of human physiology.