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Physics of trampolines

Everyone loves to jump on trampolines. They are just so much fun! But do you ever think about the physics behind the fun activity? The physics involved in jumping on a trampoline is elastic potential energy. There is elastic potential energy because there are springs all around the trampoline. Elastic potential energy is equal to one-half times the spring constant times the amount of compression squared. To find the spring constant or the amount of compression, you must know the other and the fo

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Physics of skydiving

Skydiving is something that I've always wanted to do but apparently you have to be 18 years old to do it so I will have to wait until the summer. However, I think it would be fun to talk about the physics of skydiving so that I can fully understand it when I eventually do it. Some of the physics involved in skydiving are free fall, kinematics, drag and the force of gravity and air resistance. Skydiving is a free fall from a plane so in order to find final velocity, the height or distance of the

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Physics of bobsledding

Another one of my favorite Winter Olympic sports is bobsledding. Having done it once before I can say it is extremely thrilling, though I was not thinking of the physics involved at the time. Perhaps if I do it again I will be able to apply all of the physics I have learned. Some of these include friction, drag and momentum. There is almost no friction between the sled and the ice underneath. The sled has really thin runners that help to make it travel faster but it also means that it is very ha

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dspaker

Physics of speed skating

To continue with the the theme of the Winter Olympics, I will talk about the physics of another one of my favorite events, speed skating. Speed skating is exciting to watch, but do you know how fast the athletes are actually going? They can reach speeds of up to 62 kph which is almost 40 miles per hour! Some of the physics of speed skating include centripetal force, work and power. Centripetal force, which is equal to the mass of the skater times their velocity squared divided by the radius of t

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Physics of the ski jump

With the Winter Olympics approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the physics of a few of my favorite winter sports. My first favorite is the ski jump. The 2014 Winter Olympics is the debut for the women's ski jump. How exciting? Some of the physics of the ski jump include kinematics and gravity and ramps and inclines. The skier jumps off of a huge ramp and flies through the air until they touch the ground. There is friction that occurs between the skis and the ramp while the s

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dspaker

Physics of riding a Zipline

The physics of zip-lining are very important because it is an activity that can potentially be very dangerous. When zip-lining, the line must be somewhat angled down so that the person can actually zip down the line. There is friction when pulley glides along the wire. The rider accelerates when the force of gravity pushes them down the line. The extra friction that occurs when the rider pulls down on the line to break results in a decreasing velocity and a negative acceleration. The next time y

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dspaker

Physics of skiing

Physics is all around us, even in skiing! For example, there is friction between the ski is and the surface of the snow due to gravity pushing down on the skier. When starting from rest, the skier accelerates down the slope as a result of gravity. There is air resistance known as drag which slows the skier's velocity. This is extra clothing which is exchanged for a slim suit which is worn by racers. I can't wait to ski this winter and be able to apply all of the physics to my favorite activity.

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dspaker

Physics of swimming

Physics is all around us but it is very easy to see in swimming. For example, when someone is diving off the block, it can be seen as a kinematic equation problem. You can find the horizontal velocity and the time that they are in the air. You know the vertical distance of the block so you can find the launch angle. You could also find the point at which they enter the water and how long it takes them to reach the maximum vertical distance. The next time you dive into a pool, you should think of

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Intro to physics

I am a student current regents physics student. I am on the swim team and enjoy riding my bike and playing with my dog. I am strong in mathematics and social studies. After high school I plan on going to college. I am taking physics because my counselor recommended it and it was the next class for me to take. I also wanted to take a fourth year of science because colleges like to see that. But apart from those reasons, it just looked fun. This year in physics I hope to get a good grade, do a l

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