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Frictional Force

Frictional Force

When a body is in motion, it encounters resistance because the body interacts with its surroundings. This resistance is known as friction, a common yet complex force whose behavior is still not completely understood. Friction opposes relative motion between systems in contact, but also allows us to move. Friction arises in part due to the roughness of surfaces in contact. For one object to move along a surface, it must rise to where the peaks of the surface can skip along the bottom of the...

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

Static and Kinetic Frictional Force

One of the simpler characteristics of sliding friction is that it is parallel to the contact surfaces between systems, and is always in a direction that opposes the motion or attempted motion of the systems relative to each other. If two systems are in contact and moving relative to one another, then the friction between them is called kinetic friction. For example, kinetic friction slows a hockey puck sliding on ice.
However, if two systems are in contact and are stationary relative to one...

Dry Friction

Dry Friction

Dry friction occurs between two solid surfaces in contact as they attempt to move relative to one another. In daily life, dry friction is encountered in various forms, such as when walking on the ground, sliding an object across a table, or rubbing hands together. Despite its ubiquity, the underlying mechanisms behind dry friction are not readily visible.
To illustrate this concept, imagine a wooden crate resting on a rough, non-uniform horizontal surface. When an external force is applied to...

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

Impulse-Momentum Theorem

The total change in the motion of an object is proportional to the total force vector acting on it and the time over which it acts. This product is called impulse, a vector quantity with the same direction as the total force acting on the object.
By writing Newton's second law of motion in terms of the momentum of an object and the external force acting on it, and simultaneously using the definition of the impulse vector, it can be shown that the total impulse on an object is equal to its net...

Characteristics of Dry Friction

Characteristics of Dry Friction

Dry friction occurs when two solid surfaces slide against each other without any lubrication or fluid present. It causes resistance when pushing objects along a surface, like a gardener pushing a wheelbarrow. The force applied to move the cart causes dry friction between the wheel and the ground.
Before the wheelbarrow starts moving, the static frictional force acts tangentially to the contact surface, opposing the force that is about to induce the motion. This frictional force prevents the...

Static Friction

Static Friction

Static friction is a force that opposes the relative motion or tendency of motion between two surfaces in contact. It plays a crucial role in our daily lives, from walking on the ground to driving a car.
For example, consider a scenario where a truck is connected to a car by a rope, ready to tow it along a road. When no external force is applied by the truck, the car remains stationary and is said to be in static equilibrium. In this case, the forces acting on the car, such as gravity and the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Subject-specific Musculoskeletal Model for Studying Bone Strain During Dynamic Motion

Subject-specific Musculoskeletal Model for Studying Bone Strain During Dynamic Motion

Published on: April 11, 2018

Modifying landing mat material properties may decrease peak contact forces but increase forefoot forces in gymnastics

Chris Mills¹, Maurice R Yeadon, Matthew T G Pain

¹Sport and Exercise Science Department, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK. chris.mills@port.ac.uk

Sports Biomechanics

|December 18, 2010

Summary

Optimizing gymnastics landing mats with increased damping significantly reduces impact forces and bone stress, potentially lowering injury risks like fractures.

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Subject-specific Musculoskeletal Model for Studying Bone Strain During Dynamic Motion

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Biomechanical Analysis Methods to Assess Professional Badminton Players' Lunge Performance

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Published on: June 11, 2019

Area of Science:

Biomechanics
Sports Engineering
Injury Prevention

Background:

Gymnastics landings generate high impact forces, posing a risk for acute and chronic injuries.
Current landing mats may not sufficiently mitigate these forces, leading to potential harm for athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how modifying landing mat material properties can minimize ground reaction forces (GRF) and internal loading on gymnasts.
To optimize landing mat stiffness and damping to reduce injury risk.

Main Methods:

Developed a multi-layer model of a gymnastics landing mat and a seven-link wobbling mass model of a gymnast.
Utilized a Simplex algorithm to optimize mat stiffness and damping parameters.
Simulated landings with optimized mat properties and compared GRF and internal loading to a standard mat simulation.

Main Results:

Optimized mat properties required minimal stiffness change (<0.5%) but a significant damping increase (272%).
Reduced peak vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces (GRF) by 12% (from 8626 N to 7552 N).
Reduced peak bone bending moments in the shank and thigh by 6% (from 321.5 Nm to 302.5 Nm).

Conclusions:

Increased damping in landing mats is crucial for reducing impact forces during gymnastics landings.
Optimized landing mat properties can significantly decrease forces that may lead to bone fractures and stress injuries.
This research offers a potential strategy for enhancing athlete safety in gymnastics through material science innovations.