How Momentum Play A Role In A Gymnast

926 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Biomechanical analysis of gymnastics

In gymnastics, both men and women compete in the vault. This is an event where a gymnast runs full speed towards a springboard on the ground, is then propelled through the air onto a table (sometimes referred to as a horse), and then through the air again before landing on a mat. The vault is one of the most difficult events in gymnastics because it requires a great deal of force created by the gymnasts in a short period of time. In this paper, I will be analyzing the physics behind the vault. I will discuss the energy used through the event and also how momentum plays a role in a gymnast’s success.
Energy
The first thing a gymnast does during the vault is run 25 meters down the runway towards the springboard. During this time, the gymnast …show more content…

The more the gymnast can get the springboard to compress, the more potential spring energy they will produce. This is important because this potential energy is needed to push the gymnast up onto the table. This can be further explained through the work-energy theorem. This theorem explains how the work the gymnast does on the springboard is equal to the change in kinetic energy. In summary, the more the gymnast is able to compress the spring, the more kinetic energy is transferred back into the gymnast as they leave the …show more content…

This is important because due to the conservation of momentum, as soon as the gymnast is launched into the air, they are unable to gain anymore angular momentum. A large angular momentum is needed for a gymnast to produce more twists and spins in the air.
A way for a gymnast to maximize the amount of angular momentum they have is by decreasing the distance of their body from their axis of rotation while in the air. A gymnast’s axis of rotation is near their hips so to decrease the distance of their body from their hips, they have to tuck their body into a ball. This positioning of their body allows them to spin faster, increasing their angular velocity, while they are in the air. This also increases the amount of torque on the gymnast’s body. The more torque that the gymnast has, then the more rotation they will be able to achieve thus also increasing their angular velocity. When the gymnast is ready to land, they extend their body so that they slow down making it easier to land on their

Show More
Related

  • Lacrosse Shot Analysis

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wasser (2016) stated, “The acceleration phase involves increasing angular velocities of the body segments (pelvis, trunk, shoulders) and crosses to prepare for ball release.” The trunk follows a progressive pattern of flexion throughout the throwing motion, thus, influencing the power behind the ball’s trajectory. The turning of a player’s shoulders to align with their hips is what creates the momentum for the ball’s speed and direction upon release. At the beginning of the acceleration phase, as shown in the lacrosse shot analysis, the trunk exits the preparatory stage and enters a phase of rotation. According to Plummer and Oliver (2015), this phase is vastly important because the alterations in action and purpose of involved muscles could be

    Read More

  • Gabby Douglas: The First African-American Female Gymnast

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fraser, Allen. “What a great gymnastics movie should be.” The New Yorker. conde Nast, n.d. May. 17 Feb. 2014

    Read More

  • Pirouette Etiquette

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    The three principle forces are the summing of joint forces, continuity of joints, and the linear motion (McCaw, n.d). In the summing of joint is when the thoracic, the shoulder, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the atlas and skull, and the phalange joints gain the momentum. When joints are in fast action it produces more muscle force and all joint are moving to help produces the muscle force (McCaw, n.d). The second principle is continuity of joint forces. This is when the hip is going into flexion first. Then after the hip the knee goes into flexion, then followed by the ankle. This movement should be smooth and fluid (McCaw, n.d). The last principle for the force producing phase is linear motion. In this phase the start of pirouette should be gaining momentum (Hall, 2011). The direction the pirouette is going in is clockwise because the body is rotating counter clockwise. As a dancer is performing a pirouette an outside force is acting on the body. This force is what causes the body to be able to turn. When the dancer starts the body is at rest and not moving until they initiate the turn with their arms and

    Read More

  • Qualitative Anatomical Analysis: A Standing Broad Jump

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    This skill involves jumping in the sagittal plane about the transverse axis. It consists of hip, knee, ankle, and shoulder joints. In the preparation phase in propulsion, the subject has flexed knees and hips which will need to be straightened by the strength of their corresponding joints such as the hinge joint at the knee joint. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint that bears the body weight and allows for jumping motion. During th...

    Read More

  • The Complex Physics of Olympic Pole-Vaulting

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    The level of athleticism and skill required for a successful vault is overwhelming. Pole-vaulting, a Track and Field event, was introduced to the Olympics in 1896 (The Physics of Pole Vaulting, 2009). The goal of this event is to get over a bar that is set at a certain height using a vaulting pole for a boost. The athlete has three attempts to get over each height; once they have failed the three attempts, they are out of the competition. Athletes that are able to get over the height within the three attempts move on to the next height, which usually increase by 3 to 6 inch increments. Although the vaulting pole is crucial in pole-vaulting, there is more to it then that, all of which play a huge role in how high you get.

    Read More

  • An Exercise Many Love to Hate: The Burpee

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this position the athlete stands upright with their feet slightly separated and parallel, the arms hanging easily at the sides with the palms facing the body. When standing still muscles co-contract to stabilise the body and prevent it from falling or flopping due to the effects of gravity. The key joints that stabilize the body are the ankle joint, knee joint, hip joint, vertebral column and the shoulder girdle.

    Read More

  • Biomechanics Of Running Essay

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    What is Biomechanics? It is the study of forces and their effects on the living system (McGinnis, 2013). In this essay, I will be looking at the biomechanics of running. Running, as well as any other sport requires skills for which advancement is due to consistent deliberate practice and effective development. However, runners should establish a training system that actively builds their original running pattern instead of basing it on what works well for others. Understanding the biomechanics of running gives a better knowledge of their running techniques and points out areas of concerns that require improvement. Despite the fact that running is dependent on the interaction of the whole body, breaking down the running pace into single components allows us to further understand how minor changes can increase improve performance and decrease injury risk.

    Read More

  • Physics of Gymnastics

    915 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gymnasts use physics everyday. As a gymnast I never realized how much physics went into every motion, every back handspring, every mistake on the bars. If gymnasts were physicists (or at least knew more about physics) they would be better equipped to handle the difficult aspects of gymnastics. As a gymnast I learned the motions that were necessary to complete the tricks that I was working on, and as a coach I taught others the same. I never truly understood why a particular angle gave me a better back handspring or why the angle that I hit a springboard at really mattered when completing a vault. We are going to explore some of the different apparatuses in gymnastics and a few of the physics laws that are involved in them. We will not even barely scratch the surface of the different ways that physics can explain gymnastics.

    Read More

  • Physics of Springboard Diving

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order to perform a front dive with a somersault, it requires a full flip of the body and therefore it takes a quicker rotation to cover such an angular distance. The diver takes off from the diving board with the same hip motion and arm swing as for a forward dive, but throws the arms further and makes a smaller "ball" in the air.

    Read More

  • College Essay On Gymnastics

    652 Words  | 2 Pages

    The world’s best seem to “attack” the beam and are very confident while demonstrating excellent height, flexibility and power. Gymnasts must use acrobatic and dance movements to get high points or peaks in the exercise, consisting of two or more elements performed in a series. Often a crowds favorite, the uneven bars demand excellent upper-body strength, split-second timing and an aggressive approach. The entire routine should flow from one movement to the next without pauses. The most dangerous parts of the routine are often in the high-flying release moves and dismounts. Release moves can go from low bar to high bar, from high bar to low bar, or from releasing one bar. Gymnastics has many events that are not

    Read More

  • Gymnastics Athletic Injuries

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    The sheer energy of a gymnast alone can be felt by audiences of all ages, but what the spectators lack the ability to feel is the pounding of the bodies that bear the impact of the athletes in action. Gymnastics consists of a mixture of acrobatic performances of four different events for females, and six different events for males (Gianoulis 1). Gymnastics is demanding in a multitude of ways, including: physically, emotionally and mentally. It requires countless hours of dedication. The concerns of most gymnasts are moving up to the next level, or getting a more advanced skill, while the concerns of the doctors, coaches, and parents revolve mostly around the athlete’s health, which is put at stake for the adored yet dangerous sport. Injuries are common among both male and female gymnast alike, but due to the fact a female gymnast’s career peaks at the same time of major growth and development, a female gymnast’s body as a whole is more likely to undergo lifelong changes or affects (Gianoulis 2). Among the injuries of the mind blowing athletes, the most common ones affect the ankles, feet, lower back, wrist, and hands of individuals (Prevention and Treatment 1). From sprains, to the breaks, the intriguing sport of gymnastics is physically demanding on a gymnast’s body.

    Read More

  • The Stress of Childhood Gymnastics

    2770 Words  | 6 Pages

    As you can see there are several problems that lye within the gymnastics society, but we the outside force must come to learn, understand and teach the athletes and coaches some of the correct ways in which they can handle situations. I have come across some major problems throughout this paper, along with some good solution which I hope everyone can take into account. It is important for not only the athletes of this country to be aware of the problems they have, but also to inform the rest of society about the situations hence forth. I know things can change when we put our minds together and create action upon our solutions. I hope this information has helped anyone who was having a difficult time understanding some of the issues that arise with gymnastics, or anyone who had a question. “ Don’t let a problem or situation get in the way of a dream.”

    Read More

  • How It Works: Projectile Motion in Basketball

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    Physics is a part of everyday life. It is evident in the modern technological devices we use in every day experiences and objects around us. Although physics is understood to be only useful in the classroom, physics can also be applied to one the most popular activities on the planet, basketball. Whether jumping for the ball, or leaping for a slam dunk, the human body follows the same laws of projectile motion as do other objects. The sport that includes shooting, passing, running, and dribbling involves topics covered in physics such as force, friction, effects of air resistance, velocity, air pressure and energy. Basketball also involves factors such as projectile motion in making a basket, gravity and its effects on passing and dribbling, and Newton’s First and Third Law on passing and a number of others.

    Read More

  • Role of Physics in Sports

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    The motions of throwing, batting, and fielding will be presented in physics terms and ideas. Physics plays a big role in sports. One particular sport is softball, where we will be seeing different motions represented.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Gymnastics

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    My heart is beating rapidly. I am filled with trepidation. Can I perform? Will I remember my routines? Will I stick the landing? Will I keep my legs straight? What if I fall off the beam? What if I disappoint my coaches? What if I’m not the best? What if…?

    Read More

More about How Momentum Play A Role In A Gymnast

Open Document