Newton's Law of Motion | Athletictrainer

Title of Experiment: Newton’s Laws of Motion

Problem/Question Statement:

How does Newton’s Laws of Motion optimize movement and minimize injury for athletes?

Research:

Newton’s three laws of motion are:

Every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state if motion unless an external force acts on it
Force equals mass times acceleration (F=m*a)
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction

Newton’s laws most basically come down to force equals mass times acceleration. After this law was created, an enormous amount of physical science has been developed by applying that simple equation to different situations. The first time the laws were presented was in 1686 in a book called “Principia Mathematica Philosophiae Naturalis.” Newton’s first law is normally taken as the definition of inertia. If there is no net force acting on an object then the object will maintain a constant velocity. If that velocity was zero, then the object remains at rest. The second law can be defined as force is equal to change in momentum per change in time.

Methods of training that go astray from the mechanics of these laws would not make sense mathematically. Efficient sporting performances are built around these laws and principles. Some examples of outside forces that affect inertia are gravity, the surface of the playing field, a defensive player, or the breaking action of an athlete’s body to stop.

Inertia. If a baseball player hits the ball back with double the force, the rate at which the ball will travel will speed up.
Acceleration: Football players can slow down, stop, or reverse the direction of other players.
Counterforce: A swimmer can propel themselves through the water due to the water offering enough counterforce to oppose the action of her hands pushing, allowing her to move in any direction she chooses. An athlete can jump higher off a solid surface rather than a bouncy or lose one because it opposes their body with as much force as he or she is able to generate.

In basketball, the player must use the right amount of force when shooting or passing. If there isn’t enough or too much force in relation to the weight of the ball, it will not hit the desired target. Action and reaction are what allows the athletes to make their way up and down the court. When a player is running and takes a stride, they are purring force into the floor. Because the floor weighs too much and has too much mass for the athlete to move it, the force travels back into the athlete and shoots them forward. If the athlete’s foot pushes the floor behind them the force from the floor will propel the, forward. If the athlete quickly applies force straight down into the ground, the ground reaction will give them the ability to launch themselves straight up.

Biomechanics in sports incorporates a detailed analysis of sports movements in order to minimize the risk of injury and improve sports performances. Sports biomechanics is the science of explaining how and why the human body moves in the way it does. It is often extended to also consider the interaction between the performer and their equipment and environment. Biomechanics is originally divided into the areas of kinematics which is a branch of mechanics that deals with the geometry of the motion of objects. Biomechanics is essentially the science of movement technique and as such tends to be most utilized in sports where technique is a dominant factor rather than the physical structure or physiological capacities.

The identification of optimal technique for enhancing sports performance
The analysis of body loading to determine the safest method for performing a particular sport or exercise task
The assessment of muscular recruitment and loading
The analysis of sport and exercise equipment, shoes, surfaces, and rackets

Newton’s three laws of motion explain how forces create motion in sports. In the first law, inertia, the body of a player quickly sprinting down the field will tend to want to retain that motion unless muscular forces can overcome this inertia. In the second law, acceleration, if a player improves leg strength through training while maintaining the same body mass, they will have an increased ability to accelerate the body using the legs, resulting in better agility and speed. This also relates to the ability to rotate segments and joints. In the third and final law, reaction, the force created by the legs ‘pushing’ against the ground results in ground reaction forces in which the ground ‘pushes back’ and allows the player to move across the court. This action-reaction also occurs at impact with the ball as the force applied to the ball is matched with an equal and opposite force applied to the racket or body.

Momentum is essentially the quantity of motion an object possesses. Momentum can be transferred from one object to another. Linear momentum is momentum in a straight line. It is created as the athlete sprints in a straight line down the 100m straight on the track. Angular momentum is rotational momentum and is created by the rotations of the various body segments. The tremendous increase in the use of angular momentum in groundstrokes and serves has had a significant impact on the game of tennis. In the game of tennis, the angular momentum developed by the coordinated action of body segments transfers to the linear momentum of racket at impact.

Hypothesis:

Newton’s Laws of Motion should be applied to athletic training programs to maximize movement and minimize injury.

Analysis:

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its velocity: whether in motion or motionless. Once an object has become airborne, the only thing that brings it down is air resistance and gravity, otherwise it would go on forever. The most common type of resistance to stop an object in motion is friction. Different masses accelerate at different paces and speeds. This is caused by weight, size, shape, and chemical makeup. Action and reaction are used constantly in everyday life with every single animal. Fish flap their fins to push on the water which pushes back on them, propelling them forward. This is the same principle for birds, just with air. Lastly, a baseball hitting a bat: the baseball forces the ball to the left, the action, and the bat forces the ball to the right, the reaction.

Conclusion:

Newton’s laws of motion are used in our lives completely throughout the day. They are used in nearly every single sport. They are what causes these things to happen in sports. Without knowing the laws, we couldn’t take advantage of certain situations. We utilize our bodies with our knowledge.

Works Cited:

Newton's Three Laws of Motion. 03 Apr. 2019 https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/pasp/Newton_s_Three_Laws_Motion.html

NASA. NASA. 03 Apr. 2019 <https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/newton.html>.

"Biomechanics In Sport." Physiopedia. 09 Apr. 2019 <https://www.physio-pedia.com/Biomechanics_In_Sport>.

"Newton's Laws of Motion in Sports." Sports Training Adviser: Practical Training Tips Based on Sport Science. 09 Apr. 2019 <https://www.sports-training-adviser.com/lawsofmotion.html>.

"How Do the Laws of Motion Apply to Basketball?" LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf Group. 09 Apr. 2019 <https://www.livestrong.com/article/80145-laws-motion-apply-basketball/>.