COLD HARD SCIENCE.The Physics of Skating on Ice (With SlowMo) - Smarter Every Day 110 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Ice skates used in the Olympics require a deep understanding of physics and are designed differently for figure skating, hockey, and speed skating.

Key Insights

• 😤 Physics plays a crucial role in determining the success of teams in the Olympics.
• ⛸️ Different types of ice skates are designed to cater to the specific needs of various Olympic sports.
• 😒 Figure skaters use the toe pick on their skates to maintain balance and execute jumps.
• 🛹 Hockey players prefer a deeper hollow on their skates for better grip and control.
• 👏 Speed skaters use clap skates to increase contact with the ice and generate more power.
• 🫠 Friction melting is the reason why ice is slippery.
• ⛸️ Understanding the physics behind ice skates can help athletes perform better in their respective sports.

Transcript

Hey it's me Destin. Welcome back to Smarter Every Day. So in the olympics the most athletic team always wins right? No. It's actually more complicated than that because there's physical objects in the olympics. Now the team that is able to manipulate these physical objects better than the other team usually wins. For example, curling. This curling ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How do figure skaters use the toe picks on their skates to maintain balance?

Figure skaters rotate on the ball of their foot and use the toe pick as a point of contact with the ice to generate forward pressure without sliding forward, thus preventing them from falling backwards.

Q: Why do figure skaters land with their toe picks during jumps?

Landing with the toe pick adds stability to jumps. Skaters spike themselves down into the ice with the toe pick and then rock the blade down to absorb the impact smoothly.

Q: How are ice skates sharpened?

Ice skates have a hollow in the middle, which is created using a sharpener. The sharpener holds the blade up and a wheel with different curvatures is used to create the desired hollow.

Q: Why do speed skaters use clap skates?

Clap skates allow the skater to keep the blade on the ice longer into the stride, resulting in more contact with the ice and more power.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the Olympics, the team that can manipulate physical objects, such as curling stones or ice skates, better than their opponents usually wins.

• Ice skates used in the Olympics can be categorized into three major types: figure skates, hockey skates, and speed skates.

• Figure skaters use the toe pick on their skates to maintain balance and control their movements, while hockey players prefer a deeper hollow on their skates for better grip, and speed skaters have a flat 90-degree angle on their skates for maximum contact with the ice.