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Physics in Rock Climbing


Cvankerkhove

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So it has been break, and on a rainy day without school what can you do (other than read the physics textbook)? Go rock climbing. That's what I did recently and there is plenty of physics in it.

For starters, when a person climbs up a wall, they are doing work against the force of gravity, or the gravitational field. Therefore potential energy is gained he higher one goes up. Now energy exerted is of course lost with sound and friction between rocks and hands. 

Furthermore, there are plenty of safety measures when rock climbing in a licsensed facility. Many places have people strapped to ropes in case of a fall, and to get down. Simply put, the rope is suspended over a pulley, with a person climbing on one end, and another person on the ground. The pulley helps redistribute the weight of the climbing. Once the person is ready to come down, the rope is pulled tight for the person climbing to be suspended in air. Therefore, the tension in the rope is approximately the weight of the person. 

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