The Science of Soccer
The World Cup not only showed exciting soccer but also fascinating physics in action. Are you still wondering how those world’s greatest players are able to do banana kicks?
In an article published in Physics Today, John Eric Goff, an Associate Professor of physics at Lynchburg College in Virginia explains the rich physics behind those spinning soccer balls: “After a ball leaves a soccer player’s foot, surface roughness and asymmetric air forces contribute to some jaw-dropping trajectories.” For more information, read the article “Power and spin in the beautiful game,” Physics Today 63, 62-63 (2010).
The Library subscribes to Physics Today, an influential magazine published by the American Institute of Physics. It can be used as a current awareness tool for news, technological advances, and research in physics.