How Physics Keeps Figure Skaters Gracefully Aloft
Every twist, turn and jump relies on a mastery of complex physical forces
By Evelyn Lamb
February 7, 2018 11:00AM
This month in Pyeongchang, elite teams of physics and materials science experts from all over the world will dazzle us with ostentatious displays of grace and power. We commonly refer to these experts as athletes. Gymnasts demonstrate their subtle understanding of gravity and momentum. Swimmers and divers master fluid dynamics and surface tension. Skiers harness their knowledge of friction and hydrology, and lugers push their aerodynamics chops to the limits. Olympians, after all, understand science at a visceral level in ways most of us don’t.
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-physics-keeps-figure-skaters-gracefully-aloft-180968051/#6jWKpIFYpPKORex2.99
