Running Head: THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 1

The Physics of Figure Skating

Research Paper

Sandy Chou

Student no. 572389

Career Life Post-Secondary 11/12

Koshman, Miles

11/17/2017
THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 2

Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Friction ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Momentum ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Newtons Third Law ....................................................................................................................... 5

Spins................................................................................................................................................ 6

Jumps .............................................................................................................................................. 6

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 8

References ....................................................................................................................................... 9
THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 3

Introduction

Upon hearing the words figure skating, "some who [know] of it [think] of it as dancing

on ice" (Kim, n.d.). Although this may be true, there are still many components and necessary

skills when it comes to figure skating. You have your obvious skating skills and abilities,

timing, interpretation skills as well as the physics behind the sport. When it comes to figure

skating, many people rule out the scientific side of what actually happens when you take

off from the ground and launch yourself into the air. We just come to a conclusion that this

is just how things are when in reality there is a simple, clear, and logical explanation to this.

So, just how exactly does one spin as fast as they do or get the desired height in a

jump? We learn that when you pull in your arms as tight as you go this makes you rotate faster

once in the air. That when you balance yourself during a spin, it makes you not fall. With these

basic ideas, we now have an insight on what truly happens when we apply science to

figure skating. Unknown to many, that figure skating actually has a physics aspect behind it like

everything we do on a day to day basis.

Some basic examples include:

Friction.

Momentum.

The law of equal and opposite reactions (other known as Newtons Third Law).

Angular momentum.

Rotational velocity.

Inertia.
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Linear momentum.

Rotational speed.

Gravity.

Friction

First of all, what is friction? It's the resistance between two objects when they slide

against each other resulting in their energy of motion. Friction happens when the molecules on

both surfaces of each object bond with each other and resists when the surfaces try to move away

and break the bonds. The rougher and jaggered something is, the easier it is for the molecules to

come in contact with the molecules on the surface it touches, creating a greater force of friction.

For example, the difference between dancing on the floor and skating on ice is the lack

of friction. Smooth ice provides little resistance against objects, such as ice skates being dragged

across its surface. Compared to the two, the ice has less friction. This allows a skater to glide

across the ice a lot more smoothly without friction holding them back as soon as they push off.

This connects back to Isaac Newton's first Law of motion, sometimes referred to as the

law of inertia, it's often stated as "an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in

motion with the same speed and the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalance force."

(Newton, n.d) This is why ice skaters, whose motion isn't being acted on by a much more

powerful enough force of friction, tends to stay in motion unless they use force to

stop themselves. Then again, if there were no friction at all on the ice, skating would be

impossible. It is the friction between the skate and the ice when a skater pushes off that initiates

the start of the motion to begin. Friction is also what allows a skater to come to a stop.
THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 5

Momentum

Momentum is another crucial component in figure skating; it is basically the strength or

force that something has when moving, which allows something to grow stronger, to

continue, or to go faster as time passes. Overall, it is the property that a moving object has due to

its mass and motion. Essentially, the heavier and faster something is, the more momentum it will

have and the harder it will be to slow down. Angular momentum is when your body is rotating

around a fixed object. This depends on the speed of your rotation, your weight,

and distribution of mass. For example, if two skaters with the same mass rotates at the same

speed, the one with its mass more extended in space will have a greater angular momentum.

Unless some outside force enters a system, its total momentum will stay the same.

This law of physics explains why when a figure skater pulls their arms in when doing a

turn, they spin more quickly. With their arms outstretched, their mass is distributed over a

greater space whereas when they draw their arms inwards, the distribution is reduced, so their

speed would pick up to match the difference and keep to their total momentum constant.

Newtons Third Law

One of the most well-known physic laws is, for every action there is an equal and

opposite reaction, other known as Newton's Third Law. It's the idea in which it allows skaters the

ability to move across the ice. When they push off against the ice, they are essentially applying

force down and back against the ground. This makes the ground push back, supplying a force

forward and up that pushes the skaters into a glide or jump, depending on the amount of force

they have applied. This always the skater to glide easier since the push is resisted only by the

slight friction of the ice.

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Spins

Now, applying the things discussed prior, the speed and rotation of a spin is now fairly

easy to explain. Storing angular momentum in their arms and free leg helps skaters achieve a

spinning rotation. The act of pulling their arms and free leg tightly to the body helps increase the

speed of the spin. It reduces the distance of the axis rotation and some of their mass, which then

reduces their moment of inertia. With the angular momentum, the rotational velocity must

increase to compensate. All spins must start with a hook to generate angular momentum then the

pulling in the arms and free leg closer to the body reduces the amount of inertia, making you spin

faster as the rotation of your spin increases.

You can increase rotational speed in a spin by pulling in your arms and hands tightly to

your body. The rotation can then be slowed or stopped by extending the arms and free leg out to

check the rotational force of the spin, allowing your core and body to achieve stability and a

controlled exit. It's not magic! It's physics. The speed of the turn is what keeps you upright.

It's like a spinning top (Bull, n.d.).

Jumps

In figure skating, jumps require a skater to change from linear momentum to vertical

momentum in a method similar to pole vaulting. The skater accelerates to pick up speed (linear

momentum) then a downward pressure is applied to an edge from the ball of the foot, or the toe

of a skate (the toe-pick) is inserted into the ice to create a pole vaulting motion all in

coordination with the skating edge. Theoretically, increasing the speed into a jump allows the
THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 7

skater to attain a higher jump and allows them to travel a greater distance in the air before

landing back on the ice.

Similar to a spin, the angular momentum can be achieved in a jump by applying a hook

such as when the skater pulls in their arms and legs close to the body allowing the skater to spin

in the air. A common manifestation of conservation of angular momentum can be seen in figure

skating-when the ice skater pulls her hands inward she spins much faster." (Livio, n.d.). The

hook or moment of force in this case would be the same as of in a spin, except this time instead

of rotating on the ice you are essentially rotating in mid-air. Now, in order to land, the skater

would then extend (open up) their arms and free leg in the same manner as exiting a spin.

Unfortunately, if the skater fails to control the angular momentum prior to landing, the skater

may land on the toe on a deep arc which can lead to an awkward landing ending in falling. A

main cause for loss of control, free leg touching down or immediately stepping out of a landing

is a wide swinging free leg. In an ideal world, the curve of the landing edge can be on the same

arc as the take-off. This allows the skater to have a better control on the angular momentum

gained in the jump.

Figure skating jumps involves a lifting force that helps propels the skater into the air.

This force can be generated by pushing the entire blade of your skates against the ices surface

by shifting the bodys weight to the ball of the foot, similar to a pole vaulting motion from

simply tapping the toe (your toe-pick) into the ice. This involves a coordinated push against the
THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 8

ice, the tapping motion would then suddenly stop the linear momentum of the body, thus helping

launch the skater into the air.

Rotational speed can be increased in a jump by pulling in the arms tightly to the body and

can be slowed or stopped by extending the arms and free leg out to check the rotational force of

the jump which allows the core of the body to gain stability for a controlled landing when exiting

the jump. Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from

nothing (Hawking, n.d.). In this case, when a skater lifts up into the air, gravity pulls them

down. The height and time in the air causes a certain force of gravity. Depending on these

variables, their landing would then differ.

Conclusion

Unbeknownst to many, figure skating is a lot more complex and scientific than it may

seem. Each spin and jump are all linked back to the basic fundamentals of physics. Like most

things in life, physics applies to skating just as it applies to many other things ranging from roller

coasters to a balloon sticking to a wall. It gives us a more technical view on just how these jumps

and spins are executed, giving us an insight on the complications of each jump. How your weight

and mass can cause a certain landing and/or cause you to fail to complete a specified move.

Now, with some sort of explanation to why this happens, understanding how this form of artistic

sport can come to an advantage when improving your skating. The physics of figure skating is a

very fine exampling of how momentum, friction, inertia, angular momentum, etc. come to play

and how it applies. The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason

for existence (Einstein, 1955).

 THE PHYSICS OF FIGURE SKATING 9

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Moskowitz, Clara. The Physics of Figure Skating. LiveScience, Purch, 16 Feb.

2010, www.livescience.com/6120-physics-figure-skating.html.

Webmaster San Diego Figure Skating Communications. How Physics Applies To.Physics Of Figure
Skating Jumps and Spins, iceskatingresources.org/physicsofskating.html.

Webmaster San Diego Figure Skating Communications. (1998). How Physics Applies to Jumps and
Spins. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://iceskatingresources.org/physicsofskating.html

Einstein, A. (1955, May 02). Old Man's Advice to Youth: 'Never Lose a Holy Curiosity. LIFE
Magazine, 64.

Hokin, S. (2017). Figure Skating Spins. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from
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G, J. (2014, February 18). Physics in Figure Skating. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from
https://prezi.com/fxdvpi5q7kgs/physics-in-figure-skating/

Stephen Hawking Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved November 19, 2017, from
BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/stephen_hawking_627115

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Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/deborah_bull_241303

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