How can Sam throw and catch the shield?

The combination of enhanced reflexes, agility, senses, and improved mental aptitude, along with the unique properties of the shield, allowed him to throw and catch the shield as he pleased and needed.

How thick is Cap’s shield?

Based on this page of Captain America Annual 11, the shield is 3 inches thick.

How fast can Captain America throw his shield?

Here is a plot from Tracker that shows the horizontal position of the shield after being thrown by Winter Soldier. This puts the initial shield speed at 19.5 m/s (43.6 mph). That’s pretty fast for a shield (but we are talking about superheros here).

How does Captain America’s shield work?

Captain America’s shield is famous for absorbing tremendous amounts of kinetic energy, from an artillery shell to a punch from the Hulk – keeping Cap not only safe, but on his feet. What’s going on here? It’s tough to explain how the shield works, in part because it behaves differently under different circumstances.

What happens when Cap throws his shield at the Winter Soldier?

At the end, Cap throws his shield at the Winter Soldier – because that’s what Captain America does. But wait! The Winter Soldier just catches the shield and throws it right back at Captain America. The real cool part is what happens when Cap catches the shield. The impact is strong enough to push him back a little bit.

What is the coefficient of friction between Captain America’s shield and ground?

Coefficient of friction between Captain America and the ground = 0.4 (mostly guessing here). Next, I need the speed of the shield as it is thrown at Captain America. I can use Tracker Video analysis to get a rough value for the speed.

Would Captain America be a good physics problem?

Yes, I know Captain America is just a comic book hero, but that doesn’t mean this won’t be a fun physics problem. How do you model a thrown shield reflecting off different surfaces?