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 picked 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 Renville 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: when (total) angular momentum is conserved, if a body part slows down, another body part will automatically speed up, or vice versa – a phenomenon referred to as “transfer” of (angular) momentum (Information and Education for Coaches). The vault is the quickest event in gymnastics and is performed by both men and women.
Although this event is performed by both genders, the horse for men is placed vertically while for women, it is placed irrationality (why? ). The basic skill used on the vault is the front hand spring. This involves speed, quickness, and explosive power. The basic sequence of the vault is a strong, accelerated run, hurdle to the spring board, takeoff from the board, turn over from the board to the horse, and finally repulsion from the horse. During the preflight to the take-off, the gymnast takes a hurdle step onto the spring board after an accelerated run. An arm circle is used to maximize the force it takes to turnover onto the horse.
During the twenty-five meter run to the horse, translational motion is appending. This motion is the movement of an object without a change in its changing direction. The kinetic energy that the gymnasts possess during the run can be calculated using the equation EKE= 1/move, where ‘m’ is the mass of the gymnast and V is the velocity of the run. If I wanted to calculate my kinetic energy at the velocity of 10 m/so 1 would first have to convert my weight in pounds (122) to a mass in kilograms. This equation is mass= weight (lbs)/ gravitational acceleration (Ft/so). My mass is 122 lbs/32. 2 Ft/so=3. 789 slugs. Since one slug equals 14. 9 keg, I multiply this number by 3. 89 which equal 55. 28 keg. MY EKE=I /2(55. 28 2764 J. The kinetic energy is transferred to potential energy upon the gymnast compressing the spring board. For this to happen, the equation used is Plastic=1 /kick where ‘k’ represents a specific spring constant and “x’ is the displacement of the spring from its equilibrium position. Gymnasts are taught to have a good punch off the spring board which increases the displacement and PEE. The total vault is highly dependent upon increasing the magnitude of the angular force component of take off (see Figure 1) (The Front Handspring Vault).
Figure 1 The Front Handspring Vault web. 27 March, 2013. A move gymnasts use on the high bar to increase their rotational speed is a moved called the giant. This allows the gymnasts to do something else, usually an excellent release or dismount. A big difference between men and woman’s bar is the men’s bar doesn’t have a lower bar to worry about. When women do the giant, they must adjust their legs so they don’t hit the lower bar. To get a higher swing or go faster, one must add energy to the system (in this case this is the earth and the gymnast).
One way to add energy is to exert a force as the center of mass moves. This can be calculated as W=Foods where ‘d’ is the distance over which the object, which in this case is center of mass, and B is the same angle between the force and direction of motion of the object. As the gymnast moves up after reaching the lowest point, he bends his legs up Just a bit. This moves the center of mass a bit closer to the center of rotation (see Figure 2) (Lanai). Figure 2 The Physics of the Gymnastics Giant Lanai, Reheat. Coned NASA Digital, 06 Gauge. 0012. Web. 29 Mar. 2013.
Gymnasts originally started out as military training in ancient Greece for soldiers getting ready or war. The skills and strength needed to perform gymnastic moves-running, jumping, tumbling, mounting and dismounting horses-were all thought to be great assets to those battling on the war field. In the 19th century, the United States started using gymnastics for their military training. In the 20th century, the military started using different methods for training their troops and gymnastics was weeded out. In 1954, the sport was standardized to regulate the different events and apparatuses for women and men.
Men’s gymnastics was set to include both individual and team vents with the following apparatuses: Floor, horizontal bar, parallel bars, still rings, pommel horse, and vault. Women were allowed to compete in four events as individuals and as a team: Vault, balance beam, uneven parallel bars, and floor. One of the apparatuses that have seen change in the years is the balance beam. Balance covered in basketball material, but it was too slippery and it was banned. After the asses, the beams were and continue to be covered in either leather or suede.
Being covered in this type of material increases the coefficient of friction between gymnasts ND the balance beam. The increased coefficient of friction makes the beam less slippery, allowing the gymnast to more easily stick a landing after a back tuck or flip (Lanai). The sport of gymnastics has only changed to help improve the performance of the gymnasts and protect them from injury. The physic concept of angular momentum is very prevalent in this sport. Without angular momentum apparatuses like the vault and giant bar would not exist. Physics is in our lives every day even though the majority of the world doesn’t pay attention to it.
