The-Physics-of-Sports

A guide to the science behind sports: for coaches, teachers and all sports fans

1 ratings, 2 students enrolled

Course Overview

Many of us, in one way or another, have some kind of a connection to sport. Some will be sports professionals, such as coaches and athletes, whereas others may just be casual spectators admiring the achievements of competitors. Like most things in life, those achievements are determined by scientific principles.

What are the requirements?

Students are required to have knowledge of basic, school level, maths

What am I going to get from this course?

Understand the science behind popular sports
Use physical principles to solve problems relating to the physics of sports
Use sport as a means of enhancing science classes

What is the target audience?

This course is meant for coaches and athletes wanting to obtain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms affecting performance
For science teachers wishing to use sport to enhance their classes
For anyone with an interest in sport wishing to view it from a different perspective

About the Author

With a focus on cinematic beauty and human connection, Sam specializes in capturing peoples’ cultures and lifestyles. His affinity for traveling has led him to work on productions of all types and sizes across the United States, Western Europe, Central and South America. His travels abroad have taught him invaluable lessons in rural cinematography, multilingual interviews, and what it takes to capture stories while on the road.

Born and raised in the skateboard and surf culture of Santa Cruz, California, Sam found his passion for photography and filmmaking at a young age while making extreme sports videos with his friends. At Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television, he was educated in many aspects of filmmaking but focused on cinematography, directing, and documentary film.

Today, Sam looks to further explore the art of photography and new technologies of cinematography, expand his production company, Will Call Cinematic and continue to explore cultures around the world.

Course Curriculum

Section 1: the Physics of Sport

Introduction

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 in Sport

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.

00:03:32
Energy in Sport

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.

Section 2: Physics

Force

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
Magnus Force

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

reviews

super Admin

I thought this class was very helpful and useful. This course was recommended by someone close to me to take it and I am very glad I did! I learned new things and improved my skills. I hope to keep improving after this course! The instructor's are amazing! Always giving feed back, details, and were there if you needed any help. Thank you! I really enjoyed this class!
9 years ago