Gr.12 Physics 30 TextBook *Curling(sport)* question

[elmosworld403]

Question: Unit is on Momentum and Impulse
Experienced Curlers know how to safely stop a moving stone. What do they do and why?

At first I thought sweeping helps the moving stone stop. But looking around the internet sweeping actually decreases the friction between the stone and the ice by forming water.

Another idea I had is sweeping caused the stone to travel across more surface area, allowing it to decelerate and stop earlier.

Do you guys have any ideas?
Theory?

 

[Andrew Mason]

Question: Unit is on Momentum and Impulse
Experienced Curlers know how to safely stop a moving stone. What do they do and why?

At first I thought sweeping helps the moving stone stop. But looking around the internet sweeping actually decreases the friction between the stone and the ice by forming water.

Another idea I had is sweeping caused the stone to travel across more surface area, allowing it to decelerate and stop earlier.

Do you guys have any ideas?
Theory?

It is not clear what the question is asking. Rocks stop due to ice friction (eg. a "draw to the button" - which is throwing a rock so that it stops at the centre of the circles without hitting a rock). They also stop by hitting another rock squarely and transferring the rock's momentum and energy to another rock.

Can you explain the physics for this?

AM

 

[elmosworld403]

I asked my teacher today. It wasn't anything complicated about technique, etc. She just wanted me to explain how increasing time can decrease the net force during an impulse. Fnet▲T= impulse. The curler can catch the stone and move with it as the momentum decreases just like how catchers in baseball let their arms fall back when catching a baseball.

 

[Andrew Mason]

I asked my teacher today. It wasn't anything complicated about technique, etc. She just wanted me to explain how increasing time can decrease the net force during an impulse. Fnet▲T= impulse. The curler can catch the stone and move with it as the momentum decreases just like how catchers in baseball let their arms fall back when catching a baseball.

You should let her know that curler's don't catch stones. They throw them at other stones or get them to slide to a stop. So it is a bad example.

AM

 

[Nickie]

Yes, both of your ideas are correct. Sweeping is an essential technique used in curling to safely stop a moving stone. It involves sweeping the ice in front of the stone with a broom to create a thin layer of water, which reduces the friction between the stone and the ice. This decrease in friction allows the stone to travel further and decelerate more gradually, resulting in a safer stop.

Additionally, sweeping also increases the surface area of the stone in contact with the ice, allowing it to spread out its momentum over a larger area. This reduces the impact force when the stone comes to a stop, making it less likely to bounce or damage the ice.

In terms of momentum and impulse, sweeping helps to decrease the momentum of the stone by increasing the time over which the force of friction acts on the stone. This reduces the impulse (change in momentum) experienced by the stone, making it easier to control and stop safely.

Overall, sweeping is a crucial technique in curling that utilizes the principles of friction, surface area, and momentum to safely stop a moving stone.