Physics of Gymnastics
Janay Wright-Parks
Physics-Sports Paper
Brad Ingram
29 March 2013
Physics of Gymnastics
In the world of sports, physic concepts are being applied every day. Most people who play or watch a sport don’t think about the physics behind it all. When I watch a sport like gymnastics, I am always amazed at how a person’s body can bend and twist in the way that gymnasts bodies do. It is nothing but physics. Angular momentum is the main physics concept used in gymnastics, and this can be seen in events like the vault and giant bar.
Angular momentum is the term describing the quantity of angular motion possessed by the gymnast. It is also the product of angular velocity. It is made up of the sum of the angular momentum of the body’s segments. The variables that influence angular momentum are the rotational speed of the gymnast, point/center of rotation, and the configuration of the gymnast’s body. For a gymnast of a given mass, how that mass is configured about the point of rotation determines the moment of inertia at an instant of time. An example is how the moment of inertia progressively increases as the gymnast goes from a tucked to a piked to a layout position during a somersault. When a gymnast leaves the mat, all the angular motion is from the push-off of the gymnast. This motion cannot be gained or lost but the rate of rotation will need to change while in the air depending on the move being performed. According to the law of physics, airborne skills such as dismounts and somersault, the angular momentum is constant or “conserved”. As a result, as the body configuration changes, the angular speed also changes in the opposite direction. Gymnasts utilize this law when they “open up” to slow down the rotation in preparation for landing. The combination of the conservation of angular momentum principle and the fact that total body angular momentum is made up of the sum of the angular momentum of the body's segments is demonstrated by gymnasts through the following:
Physics-Sports Paper
Brad Ingram
29 March 2013
Physics of Gymnastics
In the world of sports, physic concepts are being applied every day. Most people who play or watch a sport don’t think about the physics behind it all. When I watch a sport like gymnastics, I am always amazed at how a person’s body can bend and twist in the way that gymnasts bodies do. It is nothing but physics. Angular momentum is the main physics concept used in gymnastics, and this can be seen in events like the vault and giant bar.
Angular momentum is the term describing the quantity of angular motion possessed by the gymnast. It is also the product of angular velocity. It is made up of the sum of the angular momentum of the body’s segments. The variables that influence angular momentum are the rotational speed of the gymnast, point/center of rotation, and the configuration of the gymnast’s body. For a gymnast of a given mass, how that mass is configured about the point of rotation determines the moment of inertia at an instant of time. An example is how the moment of inertia progressively increases as the gymnast goes from a tucked to a piked to a layout position during a somersault. When a gymnast leaves the mat, all the angular motion is from the push-off of the gymnast. This motion cannot be gained or lost but the rate of rotation will need to change while in the air depending on the move being performed. According to the law of physics, airborne skills such as dismounts and somersault, the angular momentum is constant or “conserved”. As a result, as the body configuration changes, the angular speed also changes in the opposite direction. Gymnasts utilize this law when they “open up” to slow down the rotation in preparation for landing. The combination of the conservation of angular momentum principle and the fact that total body angular momentum is made up of the sum of the angular momentum of the body's segments is demonstrated by gymnasts through the following: