Physics of Sports ONLINE

This course is a study of the aerodynamics of spinning projectiles in sports such as soccer, tennis, basketball, baseball, football, track and field, dancing, etc. Also included
swimming/diving and rolling/sliding objects along flat surfaces such as in billiards and ice hockey. You will learn about the force of gravity, drag and Magnus forces, and air
flow around spinning objects. Some basic attention will be given on how air flows around spinning objects and how it leads to the pressure differences around a ball causing it to curve in the air. We will learn how to apply the concepts of velocity, pressure differences, inertia and momentum, and center of mass motion for uniform acceleration. Simple constant acceleration approximations will be used to take advantage of well-known projectile motion formulas. The focus will be on understanding motion in sports through models, cartoons, and solving simple problems. At the conclusion, you will understand how to determine the hang time of a vertical jump and punted football; why going low is the best option for blocking/tackling in football; how to optimize your chances of making a three pointer or free throw in basketball.