The-Physics-of-Sports

Physics plays a dominant role in the way athletes perform and the way the sport is played. To understand how physics is applied to sporting situations, you need a understanding of the basic laws and terms of physics. Here are discussions and simple explanations of some of the physics terms you will come across.

Aerodynamics is related to the flow of air around a projectile, which can influence the speed and direction of the object. For objects in water, it is called hydrodynamics.

The air flow around a ball thrown through the air differs greatly depending on whether it has a smooth surface or a rough surface (e.g. stitches on a baseball or cricket ball, dimples on a golf ball).

In the flight of a smooth ball, the air molecules travel around the ball to the back where they meet and mingle and combine to push the ball forward. The pressure behind the ball is less than the pressure in front.

Energy in Sport
Conservation of energy

In a closed system, energy cannot be gained or lost. In most sporting situations, although it will seem like energy is lost or gained, what you will find is that the energy changes from one type to another. There are several types of energy, potential and kinetic energy is described here.
Kinetic energy

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, as described by the following formula.

kinetic energy = 1/2 mass x velocity^2
Potential energy

For example, an object that is moved to a height is said to have potential energy, as if it is released it will gain speed (kinetic energy) while losing potential energy.

Newton's 2nd law is where Force (F) equals mass (m) times acceleration (a),
as described by the equation:

F = m * a

This law of physics can be related to many sporting situations. If you wish to calculate the force applied to an object, and you know what the acceleration and mass of the object you can use the above formula. If you know the force and the mass of the object, you can calculate the acceleration using:

a = F / m

A modified excerpt from the book: "An Introduction to the Physics of Sports" by Dr Vassilios M Spathopoulos.