Physics of Field Hockey
I am a forward for my school's field hockey team, so I have learned the best ways to score and avoid defense. But back in the fall before I studied a lot of physics I didn't realize physics controlled my sport! Field hockey is a great example of physics! I love my sport, but before physics I never stopped to think why the sport actually works, and why things happen the way they do. Field hockey is physics because of friction, momentum, and force.
IHS is lucky enough to have a turf. This makes my life a million times easier. The turf has short, even blades, whereas grass fields are uneven, bumpy, with long or patchy grass. The turf is smoother therefore is has a lower coefficient of friction. This means I can hit the ball with a force and it will go farther on turf. If I were on a grass field I would have to put in a much greater force on the ball to move it anywhere. Also because the turf is an even surface there are no bumps which will slow down the momentum of my hit.
Much like the baseball video we watched, hitting the ball on the right part of the stick makes a huge difference. Although I have never seen a stick shatter, I know it has happened. Impacting the stick and ball causes the stick to flex and the ball deforms a bit. But hitting the ball on the right part allows the maximum amount of force the player exerts on the ball, for the ball to use in its travel down field. Therefore field hockey is physics because of the components that make field hockey work!
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