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Physics · Sports Science

Sports Science Lab

Bend a free kick with the Magnus effect, see why golf balls have dimples, find the perfect free-throw arc and learn what your heart does in a race.

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First lesson01 · Gravity alone: the parabola you get with no airSee all 27 lessons →

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The course

7 worlds · 27 lessons

World 1 · Ball Flight and the Magnus Effect

FREEGravity, drag and spin on a football
  1. 01Gravity alone: the parabola you get with no airThe frictionless baseline · 9 min
  2. 02The air pushes back: drag on a footballWhy real kicks are shorter and steeper · 10 min
  3. 03Spin turns the ball: the Magnus forceA sideways force from rotation · 11 min
  4. 04Bend it round the wallPlanning a free kick · 10 min

World 2 · Dimples, Drag and the Golf Ball

PROBoundary layers, the drag crisis and backspin
  1. 01Why golf balls have dimplesBoundary layers and pressure drag · 10 minPRO
  2. 02Reynolds number and the drag crisisWhy C_D is not a constant · 10 minPRO
  3. 03Backspin, lift and the perfect launch angleBeating the vacuum range · 10 minPRO
  4. 04Curveballs, knuckleballs and the rising fastballMagnus in baseball · 9 minPRO

World 3 · Shots, Jumps and Throws

PROBest angles for baskets, bars and shot puts
  1. 01The perfect free throwThe angle that needs the least speed · 10 minPRO
  2. 02Entry angle and the soft touchHow big the hoop looks from above · 9 minPRO
  3. 03Over the bar backwards: the Fosbury flopCentre of mass and the high jump · 10 minPRO
  4. 04Best angles for throws and jumpsWhen the release is above the ground · 10 minPRO

World 4 · Sprint and Ground Force

PROImpulse, stride and the bend
  1. 01The start: reaction and impulsePushing off the blocks · 9 minPRO
  2. 02Acceleration and top speedStride length, frequency and ground contact · 10 minPRO
  3. 03Leaning into the bendCentripetal force and lanes · 9 minPRO

World 5 · Drag in the Pool and the Wind

PROSwimming, streamlines and cycling
  1. 01Three kinds of drag in the poolWhy speed costs so much · 9 minPRO
  2. 02Streamline and the underwater phaseHow long should you glide? · 10 minPRO
  3. 03How a stroke pushes you forwardDrag, lift and Newton’s third law · 9 minPRO
  4. 04Wind, cycling and draftingThe cube law on two wheels · 11 minPRO

World 6 · Your Heart in a Race

PROEnergy systems, cardiac output, VO₂ and lactate
  1. 01Three energy systemsOverlapping, never on and off · 9 minPRO
  2. 02Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac outputQ = HR × SV · 10 minPRO
  3. 03VO₂ max and the Fick equationHow much oxygen the body can use · 10 minPRO
  4. 04Lactate, burning legs and sore musclesSorting out the myths · 9 minPRO

World 7 · Climbing: Friction and Grip

PROSlabs, body position, falls and holds
  1. 01Friction on rockHow steep can you stand? · 9 minPRO
  2. 02Hips in: body position and torqueWhy legs do the work · 9 minPRO
  3. 03Falls, ropes and impulseWhy a stretchy rope is a good idea · 11 minPRO
  4. 04Crimps, slopers and the friction coneEdges you hook and surfaces you stick to · 9 minPRO
Sports Science Lab — interactive 3D lab · Novareka