Can the Fosbury Flop Technique Overcome a Wall?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Heirot
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Jump
AI Thread Summary
The Fosbury Flop technique allows athletes to clear a bar by keeping their center of mass below it, but this raises questions about jumping over a wall. The main difference between a wall and a bar is that a wall is a solid barrier, while a bar can be navigated around with limbs, providing more margin for error. The trajectory of the jump is determined by the center of mass, which must have sufficient energy to clear the obstacle. Additionally, psychological factors may influence performance differently when facing a wall compared to a bar. Ultimately, the discussion highlights the complexities of jumping techniques and the physical principles involved.
Heirot
Messages
145
Reaction score
0
It is said that jumping with the Fosbury Flop technique, one's center of mass stays significantly under the bar. What if, instead of the bar, one tryed to jump over a wall? It looks as though there's no difference between the bar and the wall, but the wall is a potential barrier for the center of mass and so the jump should be unsuccessful. What's the difference between the two cases and why is the Fosbury Flop tehcnique successful?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Why is the wall a potential barrier for the center of mass? Is the center of mass always located at a material point within a body during that maneuver?
 
Heirot said:
...but the wall is a potential barrier for the center of mass and so the jump should be unsuccessful. What's the difference between the two cases ... ?

No offense, but this is just rubbish. Unless air flow has influence on successful FF jump, there is absolutely no difference between the two.
 
The trajectory of a body is determinated by the motion of the center of mass. If the energy of the body is not large enough for the center of mass to go over the wall, then the wall should be a barrier for the motion.

Also, one obvious difference between the wall and the bar is that you can put your arms/legs under the bar while jumping and maybe that's what makes the key difference.
 
If you have a hard time seeing how a body can travel over a wall with it's COG always below it consider a Slinky.
 
Heirot said:
The trajectory of a body is determinated by the motion of the center of mass. If the energy of the body is not large enough for the center of mass to go over the wall, then the wall should be a barrier for the motion.

Also, one obvious difference between the wall and the bar is that you can put your arms/legs under the bar while jumping and maybe that's what makes the key difference.
Seconded.

There is also a lot more give to a bar than a wall. It is possible to land partially on the bar, or to otherwise strike it, without knocking it out of place. Walls are...less forgiving. There is a higher margin for error when jumping over the bar, meaning a higher chance for success.

Psychologically, there is a huge difference. However it's very difficult to judge how the psychological difference between a wall and a bar will affect performance without testing it.
Vanadium 50 said:
If you have a hard time seeing how a body can travel over a wall with it's COG always below it consider a Slinky.

That was the perfect thing to say to make the concept "click" in my head. Awesome.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
If you have a hard time seeing how a body can travel over a wall with it's COG always below it consider a Slinky.

So, you're saying that a slinky can travel over the wall with it's COM always below it? So, I'm mistaking about the barrier for the motion?
 
Heirot said:
So, you're saying that a slinky can travel over the wall with it's COM always below it? So, I'm mistaking about the barrier for the motion?
Yes and yes. Try it and see.

Since no part of the object (man or slinky) passes under the bar, it doesn't matter if it's a bar or a wall.
 

Similar threads

Back
Top