Saturday, September 10, 2016

LEAFLET: PHYSICS OF SWIMMING

DID YOU KNOW THAT
YOU CAN LEARN PHYSICS
FROM SWIMMING ?


Learn about the science in:

Moving Through Water vs. Moving Outside Water
Diving vs. Cannonball

It looks at the following questions:

What is the connection
between buoyancy and gravity?
Why is water more viscous than air --- and just WHAT does viscous mean?!
What simple machine in my body helps me swim?


GATEWAY TO SCIENCE:
Sports and Games

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INSIDE p. 2 (left)

WHAT KIND OF FORCES ARE INVOLVED IN ….?

walking – bicycling – swimming

Walking                 Lifting my legs and swinging my arms, I work against GRAVITY (and AIR RESISTANCE if I walk into the wind).

Bicycling                 Because I'm moving faster than walking, I'm working against more AIR RESISTANCE plus GRAVITY.

Swimming                 My BUOYANCY tends to cancel out the effect of GRAVITY. (See the center column. )

One more thing!

WATER RESISTANCE slows you down. 
 This is because water is more VISCOUS and more DENSE than air.

Well, what does viscous mean?
A viscous liquid is resistant to flow. Think of molasses, honey, and ketchup!

What does dense mean here?  The same amount of water (a liquid) weighs more than the same amount of air (a gas). Think of a balloon full of water vs. a balloon full of air!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSIDE p. 3, center

WHAT KIND OF THINGS CAN I LOOK FOR?

Let's talk about buoyancy!


Definition:
Buoyancy: Tendency to float or rise when submerged in fluid

Buoyancy is the balance between:

pressure of water, pushing UP 
 and
force of gravity, pulling DOWN

When you are stretched out flat, 
 there is more surface for the water to push UP on.


Therefore () :

Cannonball © vs. Diving \
With a small, concentrated surface area, you will sink!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INSIDE p. 4 right

Newton's 3 Laws of Motion

1st   An object not moving tends to stay that way unless it comes in contact 

with an outside force.  An object that is in motion also has a tendency to stay 

that way, unless it comes in contact with an outside force. 

This tendency is called INERTIA.

The tendency for a moving object (you) to stay in motion, when swimming, 

does not hold up well due to water resistance. Why? 

Water resistance is the “outside force” acting on the object, you.


2nd   Force is mass combined with acceleration --- or F = ma

Let's think about simple machines.  What parts of your body work as a simple 

machine to accelerate yourself and give more FORCE and speed for less effort?

(Is this part:
an inclined plane?  a screw?  a lever?  a rope and pulley?  a wedge?  
a wheel and axle?)

Did you guess that your arms and legs work as levers?   Your levers pivot at your joints;  the joints work as fulcrums. 


3rd   Every ACTION has an equal and opposite REACTION. 

So when you push backward  –  an action  –  on the side of the pool, 

you go forward – an equal, opposite reaction.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OUTSIDE, left

NOTE
The terms water resistance and air resistance used in this leaflet are commonly referred to as “drag.”



Sports and games are the gateway to science,
and YOU hold the key!







Also, did you know......?

Muscle is more dense than fat --- so fatter people are more buoyant.

_________________________________________________________


OUTSIDE, center (this is the back of the leaflet)

SWIMMING........

is just one of endless ways to gain an understanding of physics and geometry. I hope this leaflet introduces you to seeing things you never saw before – or wondered about but just didn't know where to start.

Physics and geometry come into play in every activity and event going on around us.
Knowing how things work can add to your performance and to your fun.   So give it a try. How?
  • Start with the information here
  • You may not understand everything in it right away, but for now, use what you do understand
  • Do an online search of your own
  • See what books or videos your library has
  • Share them with friends, your class, your team, your scout troop
  • Read my blog and tell others:
    sportscience-kathy.blogspot.com
Thank you!       Kathy Hogan

Information for this leaflet is thanks to:
www.explainthatstuff.com/swimming-science Check it out for more on swimming science!

Check the library for this book, too:
Science Behind Sports: Swimming Lizabeth Hardman, Lucent Books, New York, 2012


POWER OF TEN lists, rev. 9.26.17

POWER OF TEN

My POWER OF TEN lists are groups of 10 science terms.  In my study of physics and sports and games, etc.,  these words have stood out for me. They stand out  because  for the most part  they are terms, or concepts,  that we already understand in everyday life.  

Many of them are self-explanatory.  Others need a little explanation but can be easily understood.  To some extent these words are arranged here so that you can see their relationship to each other.  If you make up sets of 10 cards each, you will hold in your hand a solid start to gaining a working knowledge of physics and geometry.


Number 10 Stock Images - 44147894

Here is the POWER OF TEN.  
I believe that with these you will begin to have the power!

Power of Ten.1   Physics

energy                 motion                           gravity     
         
friction (includes resistance and drag)

forces of:  push,   pull,    turn  (torque)             inertia

collision (elastic and inelastic)           momentum

  center of mass / center of gravity                   buoyancy


Power of Ten.2   Geometry

     straight line           curved line             broken line         arc
                 
plane           perpendicular ( T )            parallel

        angle of access / angle of reflection                  axis of rotation       

 trajectory

                                                     

Power of Ten.3   Sound and Light

frequencies        the electromagnetic spectrum     

audible sound waves                 vibration                    music   
             
           reflection (echo)                          reflection (image)                

visible light waves                    refraction               art