Eddie+Veneziale

Shaun White Arial Supremacy!


==== Description - Shaun White performing his first frontside double cork 1080 in a half pipe. The four categories I chose were acceleration, speed, gravity, and balance. Speed is important in performing this trick because he has to build up to his max potential energy in order to have enough air time to perform 3 full spins. Acceleration is essential in order for Shaun to reach his max speed which'll end up giving him the most air time to perform his trick. Gravity has a velocity of 9.81m/s^2, which means that an object at rest, after one second will begin moving 9.81m/s^2. Unfortunately, Shaun is fighting gravity to propel himself upwards as gravity is forcing him back down to earth, but his acceleration, speed, and mass allow for him to build up enough strength (if you will) to have a hang time and perform him trick. Aside from all the physics behind performing a trick and snowboarding in general, you have to remember the most important part of snowboarding; how to balance. ====

Categories:
==== Acceleration - is a measurement of how fast an object or persons velocity changes. In simple terms, acceleration is the increase in the rate or speed of an object. . Acceleration speeds Shaun up as his rides down the snowy slope. Acceleration will also tell your change of speed over a given amount of time. Vf-Vi/Tf-Ti is the formula used to find the change over time. As Shaun's acceleration occurs, his potential energy increases, allowing him to reach his max speed, giving him the best optimal chance of performing his trick.====

==== Speed - is the rate of change overtime, which is why speed is a scalar quantity. This formula represents speed and is used to figure out velocity, where the velocity has a distance and speed and also remains constant. . Velocity is recorded in m/s^2, and speed plays a prominent role in preparing Shaun to launch. In order for Shaun white to increase his speed, he crouches down in the straight portion of the half pipe. Second, he enters the curved portion of the half pipe, lifts his body and arms up, which propels him into the air allowing his trick to be performed.====

==== Gravity - is the force that pulls two objects together. On earth, gravity pulls all objects towards the center of the earth. Gravity always pulls objects together; it'll never push them apart. The strength of the pull between two objects depends on two factors: ==== - The mass of the two objects; the larger the mass, the stronger the gravitational pull will be. - The distance between the objects; the closer the objects are, the greater the pull will be.

It seems Shaun White experiences weightlessness, where for a few seconds he isn't pushing against anything, and is seamlessly soaring through the air to perform his trick. Shaun is fighting against gravity which consistently pushes objects down towards the earth at 9.81m/s^2 which enables him to have a few seconds of air time.

==== Balance - Balance is a key element that is typically forgotten about when snowboarding. When you're a professional snowboarder like Shaun, balance becomes second nature and you begin to focus more on your tricks and max potential energy (speed). From past experiences, the best advice to give to a beginner snowboarder, you should aim to keep your weight centered in order to keep your balance on the snowboard. ====

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceleration http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity