Ice Skating Science: position

Monday, November 3, 2014

Skater in Motion: x-y Plots of Movement

In elementary school, math students learn the graph-reading skills. How often do these same students enjoy applying math to real-life data? In books from Schottenbauer Publishing, students have the opportunity to decode graphs showing movement during popular sports.

The graph below (Copyright 2014, All Rights Reserved), excerpted from the book series Glide, Spin, & Jump: The Science of Ice Skating from Schottenbauer Publishing, shows an ice skater in forward motion.

Discussion Questions

What is the range of each variable in each graph? Include x, y, and t as variables in your analysis.
In this sample, which leg is used for pushing off? Which leg moves forward first?
Use the information from the graph to draw the body in physical space, at a minimum of 4 time points.
Is the right knee ever in front of the right hip? Is the right ankle ever in front of the right knee or right hip? Describe the sequence of motion.
Is the left knee ever in front of the left hip? Is the left ankle ever in front of the left knee or left hip? Describe the sequence of motion.

Additional free graphs are available in a free pamphlet from the publisher's webpage.

The following books from Schottenbauer Publishing contain similar types of graphs and data pertaining to the science of ice skating, figure skating, and hockey:

Graphs & Data for Science Lab: Multi-Volume Series

The Science of Ice Skating

Volume 1: Translational Motion
Volume 2: Rotational Motion (Curves)
Volume 3: Rotational Motion (Spins)
Volume 4: Jumps
Volume 5: Ice Hockey
Volume 6: Biophysics
Volume 7: Video Analysis
Volume 8: Reference Manual

The Science of Hockey

Volume 1: Force, Acceleration, & Video Analysis of Pucks & Balls
Volume 2: Force & Acceleration of Sticks, plus Biophysics
Volume 3: Video Analysis of Ice, Field, & Street Hockey Sticks

Anthologies of 28 Graphs

The Science of Figure Skating
The Science of Ice Hockey
The Science of Winter Olympic Sports

In addition, the following books are suitable for younger children learning geometry:

Geometry Workbooks

The Geometry of Figure Skating
The Geometry of Winter Olympic Sports

Additional Information

Schottenbauer Publishing

Free Education Resources

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Real Ice Skating Data from Child Double Runner Skates!

Easy access to the science of ice skating is provided by several book series from Schottenbauer Publishing! Books contain graphs, data, and diagrams of ice skating, figure skating, and hockey.

The graphs below are excerpted from Volume 1 of Glide, Spin, & Jump: The Science of Ice Skating, as well as a free pamphlet from the publisher. These graphs show a child's double-runner skate being pulled along a piece of real ice with a force meter, while position, velocity, and acceleration are measured by a motion detector from the back.