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Tennis and Rain


aweld98

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This past week, my tennis team had its final matches before sectionals begin tomorrow.  However, due to heavy rainfall, several of our matches were either rescheduled or postponed.  Naturally, I thought that there had to be some physics dealing with the impact of rain on the total force of friction when one plays on a court.  Turns out that a liquid substance like water decreases the coefficient of friction of the surface it is on (in this case the tennis courts).  Because tennis requires a lot of quick stopping and changing of direction, friction is essential for both speed and for staying on one's feet.  A decrease in the coefficient of friction would mean that it would take longer to stop and turn than it would on a dry court.  Not only that, but a decrease in friction makes stopping, in general, more difficult, which could prove dangerous for players on the court.  So, our postponed matches were not in vain; our coaches were trying to protect us from friction, or rather, the lack thereof!

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Indeed, plenty of fun friction going on with tennis! Ever play on clay courts? They can be a load of fun, but they certainly change things significantly! 

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I don't play on them a lot, but I hate playing on them because the game seems much more slow paced; probably another application of the force of friction!

Edited by aweld98
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