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While air resistance has little impact on aerial skiers it is a significant factor used by ski jumpers to increase their jump distance.
The significant maths for ski jumpers is therefore X-section area.
Here is the jump at Pyeong Chang, 2018. Just imagine going down that at top speed!!!
A ski jumper is set to jump in Pyeongchang.
Casey Larson USA Pyeong chang 2018
Ski jumpers increase their speed going down the ramp by reducing their X-section area:
Lindsey Van, USA, practicing in a wind tunnel
Once they leave the ramp, ski jumpers try to increase their X-section area like Ski Divers to slow their vertical fall. But they have to land safely so they keep their skis at a minimum angle.
Abby Hughes, USA, practicing in a wind tunnel.
Abby Hughes, USA, in the air
Here is the formula for Air Resistance of Drag:
D = ½CApv2
Where C is the drag coefficient or constant, which depends on the shape and spin of an object. It is found by testing the object in a wind tunnel.
A is the X-section Area,
p is the density of the air and
v the velocity of the object.
More here.
As Abby Hughes has tripled her X-section area in the air, she will have tripled the vertical drag during her jump. This will slow here decent.
*Mathspig calculated the X-section area by the old fashioned method of counting squares and rounding off the final count. Mathspig sized the two pics of Abby Huges so that her head was the same size in both pictures.
Here is the sensational pairs team from the 2018 Winter Olympics.
But why do ice skaters spin so fast?
Here is the math!
Well, mathspiggies, the girl in this video is right. Angular momentum remains constant unless external forces are applied.
L = angular momentum
v = linear velocity
r = separation of object
Louisa Barama, USA
Let’s have a look at this equation:
The fastest spin on ice skates was achieved by Natalia Kanounnikova (Russia) with a maximum rotational velocity of 308 RPM (rotations per minute) at Rockefeller Centre Ice Rink, New York, USA on 27 March 2006. See Guinness Book of Records.
Other spins include:
Mao Asada, Japan, triple Axel
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Skaters can spin faster during a triple axel jump because there is no friction from the ice slowing their spin.
To complete a quad axel, it’s estimated that the skater would have to rotate in the air at:
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More info here.
Kim Yuna, South Korea
Now, mathspiggies, you must separate Linear Velocity (v1 ) from Angular Velocity (vr ). Linear Velocity is measured in m/sec ie. it is the speed of, say, a skaters foot around the circle. Angular Velocity is measured in either RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) or degrees or Radians per minute. Ie. It is the rate of spin. We can’t judge how many m/sec a skaters foot is moving in a circle. We can only see how fast they spin. In other words, we see their Angular Velocity. When a skaters foot is in the Camel position that foot travels in a very big circle.
But when that same foot is in a Triple Axel postion it moves in a very, very small circle.
Patrick Chan, Canada, Camel Spin
Patrick Chan, Canada, Triple Axel
By halving the radius, firstly, a skater’s Linear Velocity doubles due to the conservation of angular momentum.
Then, secondly, by halving the radius the circumference of the circle moved by , say, the skaters foot is halved.
Overall, by doubling the velocity around the circle and halving the circumference a skater increases their rotational velocity by a factor of 4.
Look at the numbers:
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That’s about right.
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Comic & cutting comment plus random raves.
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