IEyeNews

iLocal News Archives

Olympics: laws of physics

as-the-springs-on-the-trampoline-are-stretched-they-exhibit-an-equal-and-opposite-force-in-order-to-snap-back-into-equilibrium-which-propels-the-athletes-into-the-airThe Olympics are the perfect way to see how the laws of physics work in the real world

By Ali Sundermier From Business Insider

Rio Olympics
We could do this every two years. Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images

When you think of Olympic athletes training to compete, you probably don’t imagine them in front of a chalkboard trying to understand things like angular momentum (that’s how objects — or people — spin).

But believe it or not, understanding some basic physics can provide a new level of appreciation for how exactly Olympic athletes are able to do what they do. Harnessing the power of physics has also helped Olympians (and their coaches) figure out how to maximize their strength, speed, and motion.

Check out the physics behind these 16 Olympic sports, including some of the ways athletes apply what we know about physics to help them on their quest for gold.

In archery, the feathers on the arrow, or fletching, cause air resistance, or drag, that prevents air turbulence from pushing the arrow off course.
Leonhard Foeger
Source: Perimeter Institute, LiveScience

The feathered cone on a badminton shuttlecock also produces a drag which keeps it stable and on course. The drag is so strong that badminton players have to swing a little harder to hit the shuttlecock across the court.
Marcelo Del Pozo
Source: LiveScience

You may have noticed that when basketball players jump, they seem to be floating for a moment. That’s because whenever you jump, you spend more than twice as much time in the top half of the jump than in the bottom half.
Jim Young
Source: Wired

When serving the ball in volleyball, a snap of the wrist can add something called top spin, which causes the ball to fall quickly on the opponent’s side of the net.
Lucy Nicholson
Source: The Science of Volleyball

As a cyclist cuts through the air, he produces a slipstream that trails behind him. Another cyclist riding in this slipstream will use about one third less energy.
Paul Hanna
Source: Perimeter Institute

Due to its shape, it’s actually easier to throw a discus against the wind than with the wind.
Pawel Kopczynski
Source: Perimeter Institute

To get in as many flips and turns as possible, the divers need to push down on the diving board as hard as possible, which springs them higher in the air. This is all thanks to Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Tim Windborne
Source: LiveScience

Spinning gymnasts take advantage of something called angular momentum, which is how an object spins around an axis. When gymnasts pull their arms and legs tightly together, it causes them to spin faster.
Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Source: Perimeter Institute, LiveScience

The “Fosbury Flop” is a technique that pole vaulters use to hurl themselves high into the air. They arch their bodies over the bar so that their center of mass actually passes inches beneath the bar, which requires less energy.
Dominic Ebenbichler
Source: Perimeter Institute, Wired

Taller rowers are heavier, which means their boats are weighed down lower in the water. This means more water resistance. To balance this out, tall rowers use longer, stronger strokes.
Murad Sezer
Source: Perimeter Institute

When rugby players put a spin on the ball it keeps it in line and reduces drag.
Yuya Shino
Source: Perimeter Institute

Thinner, shorter runners are less likely to overheat when running marathons. That’s because their smaller bodies produce less heat. Sprinters, on the other hand, tend to have more muscular arms because it keeps them steady as their legs pump to move them faster.
Kai Pfaffenbach
Source: Perimeter Institute

In order to move as fast as possible, swimmers need to find ways to reduce water resistance against their bodies as they swim. Smoother means faster. This means shaving all their body hair and wearing swim caps.
Michael Dalder
Source: LiveScience

Just like in volleyball, tennis players can put topspin on a ball, which causes the ball to fall quickly on the opponents side.
Stefan Wermuth
Source: Perimeter Institute

As the springs on the trampoline are stretched, they exhibit an equal and opposite force in order to snap back into equilibrium, which propels the athletes into the air.
Hans Deryk
Source: Perimeter Institute

In weightlifting, athletes with shorter limbs don’t need to lift the weights as high, which means they use less energy.
Yves Herman
Source: Perimeter Institute

For more on this story go to: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-physics-of-olympic-sports-2016-8?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29/#in-archery-the-feathers-on-the-arrow-or-fletching-cause-air-resistance-or-drag-that-prevents-air-turbulence-from-pushing-the-arrow-off-course-1

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *