Re: how does chemistry relate to hockey

I am not sure I understand the question but I will give it a shot. (Bad joke). Anyway, I assume you mean chemistry in the scientific sense and not in the sports psychology sense. Team chemistry usually refers to a intangible sense of team, playing effectiveness, and ability to win in difficult situations.

Chemistry is going to play an important role in the properties of the puck and ice at different temperatures. This falls into the realm of materials science which is a blend of physics, engineering, and chemistry.

For example, keeping a slab of ice as ice is very difficult when the rest of arena must be comfortable for people to watch the game. Basically, the arena is a huge refrigerator. The basic workings of a refrigerator are explained in many physics textbooks and in the MadSci archives (try http://www.madsci.org/cgi-bin/search
Searching with refrigerator). One very good answer is http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec97/879298079.Eg.r.html.

And since most arenas are used for all kinds of events, the ice must be melted and refrozen several times within a month or even a week. The ice is not pure water. If one adds a small amount of impurity to water (no matter what it is), the water will melt at a lower temperature which is exactly the wrong effect!!! However, and lots of chemicals can cause it to melt at a higher temperature. That way the ice surface can be kept at say at a couple degrees celsius (32-37 farenheit) which is much easier to do than to keep it below freezing.

The puck will bounce or slide differently depending on ice hardness and temperature. The ice hardness and temperature are a function of the chemistry of the ice mixture. Almost every hockey fan has seen a game from places like Philadelphia or St. Louis in the early fall or late spring in which the ice is more a soup with puddles everywhere.

The puck is made of rubber (carbon). How the puck is cured or vulcanized will make a big difference in how it will behave. For example, if a puck is not vulcanized properly, then the polymers (carbon chains) will not cross link effectively and the puck could easily break off in chunks.

I hope this helps you think of other possible connections between sports and science -- chemistry or otherwise.

Sincerely,

Tom "Game Misconduct" Cull