If You Understand Physics You Can Be Better At Sports?

A lot of people may not know it but physics has a lot to do with the wonderful world of sports. So how is physics related to sports? This article will help the people who do not know that physics can really help in understanding sports.

In high school, many students would complain because they do not know why they have to learn all about physics. Some will say that they would not need it in the future for they do not dream to be a physicist someday or they just cannot see the reason why.

They do not know that physics can be used in relation to sports. How and why? First you have to know the definition of physics. Physics is the study of anything related to matter and motion.

In physics there are laws that were defined by physicists like Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Such laws can be made related to some sports today. Like Newton's first law that pertains to inertia can be related to bowling.

In Sir Isaac Newton's first law, he concluded that an object would remain in its resting state when it is not moved by a force and will eventually stop because there is friction. So no matter how long or never ending the bowling alley is, the ball will lessen its motion and will finally stop.

Track and Field also has a relation to Newton's laws. Did you ever notice that when a runner reaches the finish line, instead of suddenly stopping at the end, they will still be running for a few steps and then eventually stop. What you are seeing during that event is the law of inertia or also the first law of Newton. Also in this type of sport, the second law of Newton can also be applied.

Of course, basketball is one of the most popular sports in our modern world today. Yes, the player could be a great basketball player without the help of knowing the physics reason behind it but it will help in understanding some of the tricks they do in the court. The spin the ball skill has something to do with the velocity and not the air resistance, doing such will give the ball more chance to go in the basketball net. Receiving a pass also has something to do with physics. It is related to the amount of force and speed the passer gives into the ball. The faster you pass the ball to the receiver, the lesser the force will be, the better the chance of catching the ball and not dropping it. You may not give enough notice to the ball, but it plays a big role during playtime. Do not extra inflate or under inflate a ball for it will give a big problem during playtime.

You may also hear a sportscaster shout out the words, "That player is now accelerating" without knowing what acceleration really means. It is not merely moving fast but rather it is how much you change while moving fast. A person may not be told to be accelerating if there is no change in position. Momentum is also a much-used term when it comes to sports and what better way to understand it is through physics. Momentum means that it is the amount of motion that an object has. Meaning, the more momentum, the harder it is to stop something suddenly.

These are just some of the things that you need to learn and understand when relating physics to sports. Now, after reading this article, you will notice yourself suddenly interested with what your physics teacher is saying because now you know that it will really be a big help for you especially once you enter into the world of sports.

Web sites All About Sports Physics

  1. Forum: Qualitative Social Research
  2. Principles of Aeronautics
  3. Sport Science at The Exploratorium
  4. Sportscience
  5. Tennis Sport Science
  6. Why Does a Golf Ball Have Dimples?