Dr. Eric Goff, professor of Physics at Lynchburg College, discusses the physics of athletics in his presentation entitled "Olympic Dreams That Make Sport of Physics," a keynote address at the 2012 International Sports Engineering Conference July 9-13 at the University of Massachusetts Lowell Inn and Conference Center. Featuring presentations by global sports science experts, the conference took place in the United States for only the second time in its16-year history.
3. Men’s 100-m Dash
Bold Prediction: Winner is Jamaican with an “a”
in his first name and an “l” in his last name.
Usain Bolt Asafa Powell Yohan Blake
(1.96 m 6 5 ) (1.91 m 6 3 ) (1.80 m 5 11 )
9.58 s (WR)
4. Women’s 100-m Dash
• Started training with John
Smith at age 29.
• Ralph Mann’s video analysis
Carmelita Jeter work at CompuSport.
USA
The Washington Post
10.64 s (personal best) Sunday, 12 February 2012
10.49 s (WR – FloJo)
5. Table Tennis
Wang Hao
China
vi 20 m/s (45 mph) vf 14 m/s (32 mph)
vT 8.8 m/s (20 mph)
6. Table Tennis
Backhand: Butterfly Sriver topsheet on a
Bryce Speed sponge
Less “spongy” and less tackier to
give more control.
Wang Hao
China
Forehand: DHS Skyline III Blue Sponge
More “spongy” and more tackier to
give lots of spin.
13. Cycling – Women’s Sprint
Flying 200-m time trial
Victoria Pendleton 10.963 s (Olympic Record)
United Kingdom
<v> 18.24 m/s 40.81 mph
Pout 0.77 kW 1 hp ½ PSalimi
Eint 8 Calories
14. Women’s High Jump
Blanka Vlašić
Personal Best:
Croatia
(1.93 m 6 4 tall) 2.08 m (6 10 )
World Record:
• ½% increase in gravitational potential energy 2.09 m (6 10 )
• ½% increase in vertical launch speed Stefka Kostadinova
(1987)
15. Men’s High Jump
Jesse Williams Personal Best:
USA 2.37 m (7 9¼ )
(1.84 m 6 ½ tall)
• Greater acceleration makes up for smaller height. World Record:
• 3%-12% faster on approach than his competitors. 2.45 m (8 00 )
• Slightly less lean upon jumping. Javier Sotomayor
• See current issue of Outside! (1983)
16. Non-Human Projectiles: Footballs
14.1 m/s 31.5 mph
“Power and spin in the beautiful game,” John Eric Goff, Physics Today, July 2010
17. The Albert by Adidas
• Tango 12 Series by Adidas
• 32 Thermally-Bonded Triangles
• Grip Texture
• Woven Carcass and New Bladder
to Better Hold Air and Keep Out
Water
My Picks:
Men Women
18. Women’s 200-m Backstroke
Missy Franklin Personal Best:
USA 2:05.10
(17 years old!) (2011)
World Record: Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe) – 2:04.81
19. Women’s 200-m Backstroke
TALL! – 6 1.5 (1.87 m)
Big wingspan! – 6 4 (same
as height for “normal” people!)
Big hands and feet (size 13)!
The Washington Post
Sunday, 21 March 2012
21. Men’s Long Jump
Mitchell Watt
Australia Arms and legs move
to conserve angular
momentum!
1 m (3 ft) added!
Personal Best: 8.44 m
(27 8¼ )
CORBIS
Beamonesque effort needed!
22. Women’s 10-m Platform
Chen Ruolin
China
Throwing arms
and bending at
waist allow for
twists keep
angular mom.
conserved!
FINA Rule: D 8.4.6 In dives with twist, the twisting shall not be manifestly done
from the springboard or platform. If the twisting is manifestly done from the
springboard or platform, each judge shall deduct ½ to 2 points, according to his opinion.
Ilayout 4.3 Ituck 2.3 Ituck 13.6 Itwist
23. More Neat Diving Physics
• Archimedes helps out with a 5-m (16.4-ft) deep pool!
• Don’t expect the movie to run backwards (2nd law of
thermodynamics)!
26. How good is an “accurate” shooter?
10.4 mm
(0.409 )
vi 331 m/s (740 mph)
vf 302 m/s (676 mph)
t 0.16 s
Smashed Ping-Pong
Ball Across Table!
154.4 mm
(6.08 )
27. Men’s Discus Throw
Robert Harting Personal Best:
Germany 69.43 m
(227.8 ft)
World Record: 74.08 m (243.0 ft)
Jürgen Schult (1986) – longest-standing men's world record!
30. Scientific Literacy
Science and
the Educated
American: A
Core Component
of Liberal
Education
(AAAS)
Miller: “… able to read the Science section in the Tuesday New York Times.”
32. Summary of AAPT Sponsored Discussion Group
Response to Achieve on the Next Generation
Science Standards First Draft
May 31, 2012:
Even teachers with excellent content knowledge will
need professional development activities to assist
them in implementing the science and engineering
practices both in student learning and in student
performance assessments.
