Science Secrets of Curling – There’s Something to All That Sweeping
Curling became an Olympic sport in 1998. It’s an unusual sport to many.
The sport involves one player thrusting a huge “rock” or stone down a sheet of ice. Two other players sweep a path, guiding the rock to the center of the target called…
The Science of Downhill Racing – The Olympic Thrill Ride
Downhill skiers are racing down Vancouver’s Whistler Mountain at speeds up to 90 miles per hour. Alpine skiing is a downhill thrill ride where skiers try to get down the mountain as fast as they can. In the process, they use Newton’s Second…
The Science of Olympic Speed Skating
Speed skating is the fastest propelled sport in the Winter Olympics. Skaters reach speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour during the race. The key is to keep your speed while passing and maneuvering around the other skaters. Speed skating uses force…
It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s the Science of Olympic Ski Jumpers
Flying down a ramp at speeds over 60 miles per hour, jumping off the edge, gliding through the air and then landing two football fields away is what Olympic ski jumpers do everyday.
Ski jumping requires a complex manipulation of forces –…
The Science of Figure Skating at the Olympics
Every four years, the stakes get higher for figure skaters at the Olympics as they try to increase rotation in the air with their triple axels and quadruple toe loops. Figure skating is one of the most demanding sports at the Olympics.
It…
The Science of Bobsledding at the Olympics
Team USA’s four-man bobsledding team is hoping to win their first gold in more than 60 years during the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Bobsledding got its name in the 1890s in Switzerland because riders bobbed back and forth to increase their…
Science of Snowboarding in the Olympics
Believe it or not, snowboarding is a study in potential and kinetic energy. The athletes who maximize both kinds of energy are the ones on the medal podium at the Vancouver Olympics.
Twelve years ago, snowboarding made its debut as an Olympic…
Teachers Make Math & Science Night Memorable
Delia Zepeda, a teacher at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School in Coconut Grove, Florida made science fun at the school’s Family Math, Science and Technology Night in January.
The school celebrated its third year of getting kindergarten…
It's a Periodic Table of Elements that a Kid Might Actually Read
Just mention the Periodic Table of Elements to a high school student, and you're likely to see them break out in a rash. Being forced to memorize the elements is just cruel and unusual punishment. Companies like BP are coming along and trying…
Folklore or Science… Is a Blue Moon Really Blue?
You might have overheard your local television meteorologist say something about a blue moon. Of course, my boys were hoping to see a real blue moon, but instead, they were treated to the second full moon of the month. According to popular definition,…
