CINK Patent

When physics is used to explain strength and movement three terms are often used: force,

momentum, and energy.

Force is any influence that causes an object to change its movement, direction, or shape. When a

ball hits a wall, the force of the wall changes the ball’s speed and direction so it bounces back. The

softer the ball the more likely the force of the wall will also change the shape of the ball. The

harder the ball the more likely the ball will change the shape of the wall, leaving a dent. In human

terms, a person can exert force on a table by pushing it away or attempting to break it. Force has

both magnitude and direction. The direction of exertion the human uses on the table will change

their ability to move or break it. If a person pushes down on the table instead of sideways, they

are unlikely to move the table. Likewise striking down on the table is more likely to break the table

than a side blow. The net force acting upon an object for a certain period of time is equal to the

change in momentum. Applying a set force to push a table for ten seconds will result in greater

movement of the table than the same force applied for 3 seconds.

This brings us to the second term frequently used in the study of human movement: momentum.

Momentum is calculated by mass times speed. It takes a great force to change a large amount of

momentum. It takes a large amount of force to move a heavy object or to slow down something

fast but when the two are combined in say a speeding train, the momentum is increased and the

force required to stop it will be much greater. In human terms it is hard to push a sumo wrestler or

stop a racer, when the two are combined into a linebacker the task is much more difficult.

Knowledge of this has raised the importance of momentum in sports.