Physics in Sports
Christopher Gooden
Dr. Jan Yarrison-Rice
Physics 101
5 April 2005
Physics in Sports When many people think of sports, the topic of physics doesn 't always come to mind. They usually don 't think about connecting athletics with academics. In reality math, science, and especially physics, tie into every aspect of sports. Sports are a commonality that brings nations together, Soccer, known as football to most of the world, is said to an unspoken language, which unties people from different lands through a passion to play a game. Athletics and sports are made by the people who play, watch, and study them. Without all of the enthusiastic participants, there would be no development, education, and intensity that we all know and love about sports. The one component that reigns over the world of sports that most people don 't realize is physics, Gravity, uniform circular motion, projectile motion, and constant acceleration are a few that occur in every sport event that has ever taken place. In the three articles that I chose to write about the concepts of physics are explained in each one. In every article there is the similarity that physics and technology are the reasons for the advances in the sports. In the first article it is evident by the statement, "High-tech bats have so enhanced players ' power that some leagues have taken to limiting the number of home runs a team can hit." (Jay Greene 2,3) Even in the second article with the statement, "The higher we can get the COR, the faster the ball would shoot off from the "collision" it would go further." (Coefficient of Restitution 2,1) Lastly in the third article when the author stated, "Clearly, pole-vaulting is an example of a sport in which technology has been used to improve athletic performance." (The Physics of pole-vaulting ) Without physics these technological advances could not be made. Although these technological advances dont come without some issues attached. With the new technology of the carbon
Dr. Jan Yarrison-Rice
Physics 101
5 April 2005
Physics in Sports When many people think of sports, the topic of physics doesn 't always come to mind. They usually don 't think about connecting athletics with academics. In reality math, science, and especially physics, tie into every aspect of sports. Sports are a commonality that brings nations together, Soccer, known as football to most of the world, is said to an unspoken language, which unties people from different lands through a passion to play a game. Athletics and sports are made by the people who play, watch, and study them. Without all of the enthusiastic participants, there would be no development, education, and intensity that we all know and love about sports. The one component that reigns over the world of sports that most people don 't realize is physics, Gravity, uniform circular motion, projectile motion, and constant acceleration are a few that occur in every sport event that has ever taken place. In the three articles that I chose to write about the concepts of physics are explained in each one. In every article there is the similarity that physics and technology are the reasons for the advances in the sports. In the first article it is evident by the statement, "High-tech bats have so enhanced players ' power that some leagues have taken to limiting the number of home runs a team can hit." (Jay Greene 2,3) Even in the second article with the statement, "The higher we can get the COR, the faster the ball would shoot off from the "collision" it would go further." (Coefficient of Restitution 2,1) Lastly in the third article when the author stated, "Clearly, pole-vaulting is an example of a sport in which technology has been used to improve athletic performance." (The Physics of pole-vaulting ) Without physics these technological advances could not be made. Although these technological advances dont come without some issues attached. With the new technology of the carbon
Bibliography: "High-Tech Homers." Business Week Online. 2004. Business Week. 4/2/05 http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_30/b3893095_mz018.htm. "Coefficient of Restitution." Golf Stars Online. 2001-2005 Golf Stars. 4/2/05 http://www.golfstarsonline.com/golfclubs/cor.htm. "The Physics of pole-vaulting." Neo Vault 2003-2005 A Pole Vault Resource 4/2/05 http://www.neovault.com/articles_physics_of_pole_vaulting.asp.