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The Physics of Volleyball

Introduction
Physics is the study of energy and how it is transferred from one particle to another. During the game of volleyball there is
certainly a lot of energy transferred between objects and players. A few of the concepts of physics that take place during
volleyball include, but are not limited to: gravity, displacement, velocity, acceleration, projectile motion, and force. These
different concepts of physics are displayed throughout 6 different positions on the court with all 6 displaying proper
technique in 3 different skills: passing, setting, and hitting.
Gravity
Gravity affects all aspects of life and we would not be able to stand without it. Gravity is the natural attraction between 2
masses that is proportional to their mass. It is essential to volleyball because without gravity we would not be able to stay
on the ground and enjoy the game. Also, the ball would float away from the people participating in the game. The gravity
of Earth pulls down at 9.8 m/s2. This means that just in order to get off the ground, one must exert a powerful enough
force to create acceleration greater than 9.8 m/s2.
Displacement
During game play, it is unwise for players to be stacked on top of each other; they must be spread out among the court.
This is where the essential area of physics called displacement comes in to play. Displacement is how far out of place an
object is; it is the object's overall change in position. A displacement vector can be mathematically defined as the
difference between the final and initial position vectors or d2- d1 = dT. This is where d2 is the final destination, d1 is the
original location, and dT is the total distance between them. Displacement is relative to all positions on the court of
volleyball because all 6 players should be evenly spaced on their respective side.
Velocity
Velocity is commonly expressed as the change in displacement in a given time. This concept has to deal with volleyball in
a number of areas. One of these areas where velocity is found in volleyball would be when a player spikes the ball. With
the proper velocity, the ball will hit the floor without a defender being able to react quickly enough to the attack. In addition,
it tells us how quickly a player moves from position to position on the court. This can be calculated by using the equation v
= d/t. V represents the average velocity given d (displacement) divided by t (change in time).
Acceleration
Acceleration is defined as the rate at which velocity changes. The ball, along with players on the court, both have
acceleration. When the ball is hit by a player for a spike, the rate at which it reaches is maximum velocity is the
acceleration. One can measure acceleration by using the equation aavg = v/t. In this equation the average acceleration
is equal to the change in velocity divided by the change in time.
Projectile Motion
Projectile motion is a huge part of volleyball because the entire game is based on it! A projectile is considered to be an
object upon which the only force acting is gravity. A volley ball is a projectile the instant it hits off of a players hands and
goes into the air. All objects in projectile motion will follow some type of parabolic path. In addition to serving, other types
of projectile motion seen in volleyball include when the setter sets the ball to be hit by another player. In this instance the
setter will release the ball in a parabolic path that is perpendicular to them.
Knowing these different aspects of physics in relation to projectile motion can help the hitter know where the setter will
place the ball based on what they know about projectile motion and what type of parabolic path the ball will take in the air.
Although many hitters may not know this, they are mentally calculating the time in which it will take the ball to reach the
proper height to spike it at, and taking their hitting approach with perfect timing to strike it at that point. In addition, passers
will judge what position they should be standing in based on the projectile motion of the ball after it is spiked by an
attacker.
Force
Considering all movement is caused by force acting on an object, one would think that force is a major part of volleyball.
That person would definitely be right. There are 2 types of forces: static and dynamic. A static force occurs when two
objects stay still when in contact; this means that they have reached a state of equilibrium. When a volleyball player is
standing still on the court, they have a static force with the floor and they have reached equilibrium with the ground and
their acceleration is 0. When a player is moving, however, their force is called dynamic. This is when an object or person
is accelerating; a force had just acted on them. For example, a player has left the ground and is accelerating up towards
the ball. The hitter has created a dynamic force after launching herself up off the ground from a static position. In order to
achieve dynamic force, the player must overcome the acceleration of gravity coming down on her and in addition add the
proper acceleration to her jump in order to reach the ball.
Conclusion
Physics affects every aspect of life in a way that it would take pages and pages of writing to correlate each part of an
activity with physics. I have just scratched the surface of physics and how it affects volleyball from an external view.
Understanding the physics behind the game can make someone a better player because they can learn how the game
works and react to it accordingly in order to be one of the top players. In addition, it could make someone a better coach
because they will be able to teach their pupils the proper techniques to achieve maximum efficiency in their position.
Physics can truly be seen everywhere, especially in the game of volleyball.

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