Science
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7-4
The Physics Behind Soccer Soccer really has a lot to do with science. From Newton’s laws of motion to the momentum of the person kicking the ball, the drag force and the magnus effect, and even the air pressure in the ball. It is harder than most people think. Next time you watch a soccer game, or play a soccer game, think about the science in the game.
First, Newton’s Law’s are present when the ball is kicked. His first law, an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced force, shows that when one’s foot (the unbalanced force) collides with the ball, the ball will be in motion and will show no intent of stopping, if it was not for friction and gravity, …show more content…
Although the ball is very hard when it is filled with air, a lot of air pressure is crucial to kicking the ball over a great distance. The higher the air pressure of the ball, the farther it will go when kicked. The kick will transfer more energy into a stiff ball because less energy will be lost to deformation of the ball’s surface. Next, the Magnus Effect. Nothing is more exciting than when a soccer ball is curved into the goal. When a soccer ball is kicked off center, the ball starts to spin. It’s the same principle as a curveball in baseball. When the velocity of the ball drops, the Magnus Effect comes present. Finally, the Drag Force. The Drag Force occurs when a ball is kicked, and it travels through the air while the air pushes back, slowing down the ball. The Drag Force can be dramatically decreased by kicking the ball with a spin. Once the ball starts spinning, the Magnus Effect occurs (see paragraph four), which lowers the air resistance. In conclusion, soccer may be something that people like to do outside of school, but something most people don’t know is that soccer, like many sports, have so much to do with science. From Newton’s laws, to the Magnus Effect, to the Drag Force, to the momentum, and even the air pressure of the ball, it all plays a part in just kicking the ball. It really is true. Our entire world is made up of