LEAFLET: PHYSICS OF HULA HOOPING

This is my second leaflet.

TITLE PAGE:

      DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN LEARN PHYSICS

WHILE  HULA HOOPING?

This  is   about   the   science  involved  in  hula hooping.    It will answer a few of your questions about how hula hooping works.

It answers the following questions: 

What force gets the hoop going?

What forces keep it going?

What force slows it down?

 What force slows it down AND keeps it going?

sportscience-kathy.blogspot.com

“Gateway to Science: Sports and Games” Quincy Access Television

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INSIDE PAGES, LEFT:

WHAT FORCE GETS THE HOOP GOING?

YOU are the fuel (the energy) providing:

            A pushing up and out force AND

            A turning force (called torque)

YOU are the axis of rotation.

 

 

WHAT FORCES KEEP IT GOING?

Torque is a turning force.  It keeps the hoop spinning around the axis (YOU).  

Now this gives us centripetal force (a force that follows a curved path and is drawn to the center).  

In addition, angular momentum (momentum going in a 360° circle—all angles) helps maintain the inertia, which is the tendency to stay in motion.

 INSIDE PAGES, MIDDLE:

WHAT FORCE SLOWS DOWN THE HOOP?

What  force  works  against  the  forces  of motion?

Gravity  pulls  the  hula  hoop  down,  thus  slowing  it  down.

 

INSIDE PAGES, RIGHT:

WHAT FORCE SLOWS DOWN THE HOOP    

                                but

                HELPS IT TO STAY UP?

Friction does.   How?

FIRST WAY.    Friction is a slowing force that works against motion.

Friction between the hoop and two surfaces:

                         1 – you

                         2 – the air

will work to slow down the hoop.

 (Yes, air produces some friction   AKA   drag or air resistance.)

  

SECOND WAY.     To a certain extent, friction helps motion.

It  fights  gravity.  The surface friction (described above)  can also work to your benefit and help the  hula hoop  to stay up.   

How? It keeps the hoop from moving in the opposite direction—down  (due to gravity’s pull).

 BACK PAGE:

HULA HOOPING 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 single 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 which I found online at www.hooping.org
• You may not understand everything in it right away, but for now, use what you do understand
• Conduct an online search of your own
• See what books or videos your library has
• Share them with your friends, your class, your team, your scout troop
• Read my blog and tell others:   sportscience-kathy.blogspot.com
• See my show on Quincy Access Television, channel 8:  

“Gateway to Science:  Sports & Games”

        Thank you!        Kathy Hogan