9781422274781

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CHAPTER

THROWING

Motion. Strength. Inertia . Velocity. Force. Aaggh! What does it all mean? Let’s explore the physics of football, like how players use physics to move the ball down the field, including how a quarterback throws the perfect spiral pass. Motion vs. Strength Motion or strength—that is the question. Although these two things are different, they are related by Newton’s Second Law of Motion—the F=ma equation. Force is about being able to transfer energy into something, like a football. Strength is a measure of how much force can be placed on an object.

In the case of a football being thrown, the mass of the football remains the same. The same size football is used throughout the entire game. The only thing that can change is the acceleration . If the quarterback increases the speed at which he throws

The quarterback controls the acceleration of a thrown football.

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