Overview

Nothing is quite as thrilling as watching superior athletes do the seemingly impossible. From Doug Flutie's ""Hail Mary"" pass to Lance Armstrong's record-breaking climb of Alp d'Huez to David Beckham's astounding ability to bend a soccer kick, we marvel and wonder, ""How did they do that?"" Well, physics professor John Eric Goff has the answers. This tour of the wide world of sports uses some of the most exhilarating feats in recent athletic history to make basic physics concepts accessible and fun. Goff discusses the science behind American football, soccer, cycling, skating, diving, long jumping, and a host of other competitive sports. Using elite athletes such as Greg Louganis and Bob Beamon as starting points, he explains in clear, lively language the basic physical properties involved in amazing and everyday athletic endeavors. Accompanied by illustrations and mathematical equations, each chapter builds on knowledge imparted in earlier portions of the book to provide a firm understanding of the concepts involved. Fun, witty, and imbued throughout with admiration for the simple beauty of physics, Gold Medal Physics is sure to inspire readers to think differently about the next sporting event they watch.

Full Product Details

Author:   John Eric Goff (University of Lynchburg)
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.318kg
ISBN:  

9780801893223

ISBN 10:   0801893224
Pages:   232
Publication Date:   26 February 2010
Recommended Age:   From 13
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. The Pre-Game Show 2. It's Not Over Until the Trombone Player Goes Down: Vectors and How to Think Like a Physicist 3. All Hail Flutie: Gravity and Projectiles 4. Vive le Lance: Simplifying the Complicated 5. A Leap into the Unknown: More Projectiles and Angular Momentum 6. Amazing Spins in and around All Kinds of Water: Rotations in Water Sports 7. Soccer Kicks Gone Bananas: Off-Center Kicking and the Magnus Force 8. Four Olympics and Four Straight Gold Medals: Centripetal Motion and Lift 9. It Takes More Than a Big Gut: Caloric Consumption and Linear Momentum 10. The Post-Game Show Further Reading Index

Reviews

Goff... is more than comfortable analyzing a variety of feats of physical prowess... Sports fans with a knowledge of geometry and trigonometry will enjoy Goff's cheerful revisiting of memorable athletic events. Publishers Weekly 2009 A lively, pleasant read with plenty of real physics and mathematical details. American Journal of Physics 2010 Sports libraries will find this engrossing. Midwest Book Review 2010

Author Information

John Eric Goff is an associate professor of physics and chair of the physics department at Lynchburg College.

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