The Physics of Hockey Essay examples -- Essays Papers

The Physics of Hockey Physics is everywhere. Consequently, physics is a part of sports and more specifically, hockey. As the scientific discoveries progressed with time, so did the advancements in the sport of hockey, reflecting on how important and influential science truly is. Physics takes part in the ice, the skates, the protective gear, the shots, goaltending, and all other aspects of ice hockey. Skates used to be more like skis. Players glided on the ice rather than actually skated. Artifacts also show the use of animal bones as skate blades as well. Currently, steal blades are used. There is a small arc groove on the blade that provides the friction needed to counteract the slipperiness of the ice (Hachà © 37). The boot of the skate is hard enough to protect the foot from puck impact but also flexible enough â€Å"to allow the calf muscle to push forward and to ease knee bending when the player crouches† (Hachà © 35). An ice rink is approximately 1,600 meters. Therefore, filling a rink 2 cm requires 32 million grams of water. Cooling this water to 0 ° Celsius requires 2.7 billion joules which is a lot of energy. Turning this liquid into a solid requires more energy called the latent heat of fusion which is equivalent to 340 J/g (Hachà © 4). Pressure on the ice reduces the melting point. If pressure is afterward reduced, water will freeze again. This is called regelation. When a player skates across the ice, he or she applies a lot of pressure, leaving a trail of water where the blades were. Because the pressure leaves quickly, the water freezes to ice again (Hachà © 22). Nevertheless, pressure is not the only factor that causes this melting. Friction also takes part because it creates heat. With help... ... make this possible, goalies observe the body language and facial expressions of opponents to know when a shot is coming. That way, they have more time to position their body accordingly (Hachà © 133). There is no questioning that physics is important in the game of hockey. It explains how all the aspects work including skating, shooting, checking, protective gear and goaltending. It also allows for scientific discoveries which continue to improve the sport in multiple ways. Without a doubt, physics is indeed everywhere. Works Cited - Hachà ©, Alain. The Physics of Hockey. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 2002. - "Rule Book." National Hockey League Officials Association. 13 Nov. 2005 . - "Science of Hockey, The." Exploratorium. 13 Nov. 2005 .