From skating rink to physics assignment - Viewing a photo from a mechanics perspective

Abstract

Circular motion changes the perception of up and down. For a skater, the need to lean in towards the centre of an arc constitutes an embodiment of centripetal acceleration. This paper presents a discussion between a physicist and a high-school science teacher without previous physics studies at university level. The discussions started as part of a course assignment and focused on a photo of skaters practicing a 'wing', which is a move in synchronised skating. The skating experiences are integrated with an understanding of the relations between radius, acceleration and the angles the total force from the ice deviates from the vertical.