Yesterday I went to the Iolani Football at Aloha Stadium and witnessed a lot of good physics! This picture is from the Kamehameha vs. Saint Louis game and shows the Saint Louis kicker about to kick the extra point after the touchdown. The ball starts at rest on the ground with an initial velocity of zero m/s. As soon as the kicker kicks it, the ball is in freefall accelerating at a rate of -9.8 m/sq. seconds, the force of gravity. The velocity decreased at a constant rate the entire time it is in freefall. The ball travels up for the same amount of time as it travels down because of the constant force of gravity. The extra point kicks were just one example of the physics found at a football game.
Dana, your use of the feild goal kick was a perfect example of how to explain free fall and the force of gravity. Thanks for coming out to support our team.
ReplyDeleteJosiah