Re: What are some concepts of physics involved in the sport of gymnastics?

Hi Christine,

I know of two great books to help you out. The first may be hard to get a hold of: Physics, Dance, and the Pas De Deux by Kenneth Laws and Cynthia Harvey. The book is about the physics of ballet and some figure skating. It is a great book for helping one look at the human body in terms of moments of inertia.

The second book: The Physics of Sports, edited by Angelo Armenti, Jr. The book is a series of articles that are taken from a variety of sources but primarily from a eduactional periodical called "The Physics Teacher." While there are no articles that deal directly with gymnastics, a good article on platform diving is included. Most tumbling is achieved by generating torque. However, the concept of "torque-less" tumbling is included.

What do I mean by "torque-less?" Basically, the idea is the concept of conservation of angular momentum. By repositioning the body while in flight twisting can be achieved without having to rely upon using the platform to provide torque. "Torque-less" twisting by repositioning the body in flight is how cats always land on their feet.

The floor exercise is a good place to find an example. Movements like whipbacks or front flips can be a achieved by using the contact force with the floor and the feet. The gymnastic speeds along the floor gaining linear momentum, then basically, the upper body is thrust forward and tucked while the lower body is used to provide a force that acts through the pivot point somewhere around the mid torso (although not typically inside the frame of the body). Combined with the repositioning of the arms and body to change moments of inertia, the athlete can do amazing movements.

Of course, practice, fitness, skill, and a certain fearlessness are also required.

Sincerely,
Tom Cull - Heavyweight Gymnast