Swimming+Physics

Goal: To see which of three different dives off a starting block produces the highest dive, farthest dive, highest launch velocity, longest dive, and highest entry velocity. Additionally, we will analyze the different facets of the three different dives and determine the dive that would be best used to enter the water in a swimming race. Procedure: 1. Take a video of a swimmer 2. Have them dive regularly, more vertical, more horizontal and then just streamline without kicking 3. Calculate the speed with which they leave the blocks 4. Calculate height of dive 5. Calculate length of time in the air 6. Calculate length of dive 7. Analyze which dive would be best used in a swimming competition

Additional Information Length of block: 32 inches (.8128 meters) The graph with the rectangle marks is a velocity/time graph. The graph with the circle marks is a position/time graph. Equation used to calculate final velocity: velocity final = velocity initial + acceleration * change in time

__** Dive 1: Regular Dive **__ media type="youtube" key="FmYJX1SfVt8?hl=en" height="344" width="425"
 * Initial Velocity: 0
 * Dive Height: 1.852 meters
 * Hang Time: .301 seconds
 * Dive Length: 1.926 meters
 * Acceleration: -8.439 meters/second/second
 * Final Velocity:-2.540

__** Dive 2: More Vertical **__ media type="youtube" key="qio_t702Ado?hl=en" height="344" width="425"
 * Initial Velocity: 0
 * Dive Height: 2.157 meters
 * Hang Time: .390 seconds
 * Dive Length: 1.825 meters
 * Acceleration: -7.632 meters/second/second
 * Final Velocity: -2.976

__** Dive 3: More Horizontal **__ media type="youtube" key="0Zwa6HmkFW0?hl=en" height="344" width="425"
 * Initial Velocity: 0
 * Dive Height: 2.872 meters
 * Hang Time: .322 seconds
 * Dive Length: 2.042 meters
 * Acceleration: -15.88 meters/second/second
 * Final Velocity: -5.113

Highest dive height: More Horizontal (2.872 meters) Highest hang time: More Vertical (.390 seconds) Longest dive: More Horizontal (2.042 meters) Highest final velocity: More Horizontal (-5.113 meters/second) Highest Acceleration: More Horizontal (-15.88 meters/second/second)

Conclusion: If our swimmer were to choose the best dive for their race, it appears obvious that the swimmer should enter the water using the more horizontal dive as that dive has the greatest acceleration and highest final velocity of the three dives. The horizontal dive has an acceleration of -15.88 meters/second/second (negative because the swimmer is swimming left) and a final velocity of -5.33 meters per second. Even so, if the swimmer were to follow a typical coach's instructions - that the best dive would be the one with the greatest hang time because there is less resistance in the air than in the water - the swimmer should then choose the more vertical dive. The more vertical dive has a hang time of .390 seconds, longer than the other dives. While both are different strategies when approaching a swimming competition, both can prove to be invaluable in winning. The best dive would actually be a more horizontal dive that was able to achieve a better hang time or a more vertical dive that was able to achieve a greater acceleration. If a swimmer was able to combine both dives, their performance would also probably improve in a swimming race.