Ice Scene

The Physics of the Ice Scene: Home Alone 1

In case you've forgotten the scene....

At the end of this scene, Kevin slides along the ice to avoid the policemen that is chasing him. Not only is this a clever escape from Hollywood that  was perfectly executed to avoid all of the skaters on the ice, it's also an example of physics. Without physics, Kevin may not have got away. 

Let's take a look at the physics at play...

Often times a thin layer of water forms over the surface of  ice. This creates a very low-friction properties (coefficient of 0.04) and allows for things to slide along its surface easily. This was certainly the case for Kevin. He was easily able to slide along the ice for a long period of time due to it's low coefficient of friction. This would not have been possible if he were on, for example, asphalt. Asphalt has a coefficient of 0.9, which is way more than the ice and would  prohibit Kevin from sliding. The ice and it's low-friction properties is a key factor in what allows Kevin to slide.