Snowboarding with Physics By: Marisa Felker and Mariah Fahser

*GRAVITY* Gravity holds you on the earth and keeps you from floating away. Therefore, gravity works with snowboarding just as well as walking. When riding, a constant physics concept of 9.8 Newtons is pushing down on every inch of your body. Not only does this physics idea pull you down the mountain, but it keeps your board on the trail. If you were to perform a stunt and gravity wasnt here then you would never descend.

*FRICTION* Friction not only allows you to carve, but it also allows you to stop the board. Friction is a physics concept that causes negative acceleration and the overall heat. It has effect on everything as long as matter is present. On earth friction is EVERYWHERE. Since this physics idea affects the speed of a run, snowboards are made with special materials that reduce the friction as much as they can. Different boards can reduce the friction as well. On the other hand, some riders may want friction…

*FRICTION* It is easier to learn with less speed. Using a thicker board will allow you to feel the speed that your comfortable with as you are learning how to become more skilled. Reducing the size of your board will reduce your friction. EXAMPLE: Racing snowboard compared to a freestyle board. The racing board, due to its sleek, skinny, light weight design, ride is much faster. Freestyle Racing

*ACCELERATION* Acceleration speeds you up as you ride down a trail. It tells you your change of speed over a given amount of time. Acceleration varies with the steepness of a trail. It also occurs when you are slowing down to a stop. This type of acceleration is called negative acceleration. A= Vf-VI / Tf-Ti

*VELOCITY* Velocity can be measured by calculating the distance you have traveled divided by the time it takes you to ride the distance. Speed is the key physics concept to movement on the mountain. Without speed, snowboarding would not be possible. This concept makes the sport difficult. Falling at high speeds can easily damage bones. V = D / T

*WEIGHT* The rider shifts their weight and moves the board from one edge to the other. The larger you are, the more air has to move out of the way, which is why tucking down, like speed skaters, can reduce drag. Your weight also has something to do with the board you buy. Depending on your weight changes the length of the board you should buy.

*ANGULAR MOMENTUM* To turn during a jump, snowboarders must create angular momentum. Angular momentum is the ability to rotate. They do this by adding twisting force. Athletes have to push against the ramp so the rotation has started before they are in the air. If they have enough speed and enough twisting force, then they can pull off the trick.

*DISTANCE* Distance plays a big part in snowboarding and physics. It is effected by speed and acceleration of both the rider and the board. The higher the acceleration the farther the distance is and the faster the speed is the farther your distance is. Distance measures how far you land from your starting point or how far you travel.

In conclusion, the entire sport of snowboarding relies on physics concepts. From the time you step on the lift to the time you hit the base of the mountain, physics concepts affect your every movement and action.