Physics of Field Hockey - Relation between Field Hockey and Physics Principles (2024)

We all play sports such as Cricket, Football, Tennis, Hockey and many more. Is it possible to connect all sports to physics? YES! Physics and all sports are intimately connected. How are they related? They are related because every sport’s discipline depends on a player’s ability to exert force. Force is one of the essential parts of Newton’s laws of motion and other elementary physics concepts. Field hockey is a perfect demonstration. Let us learn about how physics works in field hockey.

How is Physics Used in Field Hockey?

Field hockey is played on a hockey pitch. Historically, the player played the game on natural turf (grass), but nowadays, most people play on artificial turf. According to general belief, maintaining the game’s speed is simpler on artificial turf than on grass fields.

The scientific reason behind the speed concerning the grass field is due to a force known as “Friction”. Similarly, gravity is another essential element in the game of field hockey. Additionally, field hockey players follow all three basic Newton’s laws of motion.

The Physics of Ball Lifting in Field Hockey

Field hockey balls are lifted in the same way as catapults. While simultaneously pushing the stick up and down, the player’s hands make the ball fly through the air as the stick is placed underneath the ball. The force the player exerts on the stick is transferred to the ball, launched upwards in a projectile motion. The more force the player applies to the stick, the faster the ball will fly. Along with the pushing and pulling motions of the arms, the legs can provide extra strength. For maximum force on a lift, the player’s legs should be bent at the knees, as should his arm. A field hockey player must always be aware of how much force they exert on their lift when people are nearby. Players can’t lift the ball at a certain height when people are nearby, so players must always be aware of the height at which they are lifting the ball.

Friction in Field Hockey

As we know, maintaining the game’s speed is simpler on artificial turf than on grass fields. Players would have to put much more energy into moving the ball on a grass field. Moving the ball from one side of the field to the other is significantly more difficult in field hockey than in ice hockey since the game is played on grass. And we know that the cause of this is a force known as friction. Due to the turf’s smooth surface, its friction coefficient is lower, and this means the players can hit the ball with energy, and it will go farther on the turf.

Let us learn how friction works in the field of hockey.

Rolling Friction in Field Hockey

Rolling friction is the opposing force that comes into play when one body is rolling over the surface of another body. Let us consider when the player is dribbling on the ball. The stick rolling the ball is an example of rolling friction.

Static Friction in Field Hockey

The frictional force resists the force applied to an object, and the object remains at rest until the force of static friction is overcome. At the start of the game, before the ball is hit, the ball is not in motion, so at that time, we can say the ball is in static friction.

Fluid Friction in Field Hockey

Fluid friction is a force that restricts the movement either within itself or of another medium moving through the liquid or gas. When the player “scoops” the ball, the ball is in the air and is affected by the air’s resistance, which is a type of fluid friction.

Why Do We Spray Water on Field Hockey Turf?

Field hockey uses water and a turf field with shorter synthetic grass blades to reduce friction. Before a hockey game or practice, water is sprayed on the field to douse the blades. Water acts as a lubricant on the field, reducing friction between the ball and the grass blades and allowing the ball to move more smoothly. That’s why field hockey turf fields have shorter synthetic grass blades!

Gravity in Field Hockey

Gravity is a significant aspect of the game of field hockey. The game would not be possible without it. Gravity allows the ball to fall back to the ground when it is hit in the air. Additionally, it provides everything to stay on the ground, including the ball, the stick, the goal, and everything else. So we can say without gravity, there would be no game because everyone and everything would be floating around!

Newton’s Law in Field Hockey

All field hockey players follow “Newton’s Laws of Motion“, the basic laws of physics. Sir Isaac Newton published his three laws in 1687, which were universally applicable to all things at rest, in motion, or on the ground. Let’s figure out how these laws apply here.

How Does Newton’s First Law Apply to Field Hockey?

The field hockey ball stays in motion until it is stopped by an external non-zero net force, in this case, the field hockey stick.

How Does Newton’s Second Law Apply to Field Hockey?

According to Newton’s second law, if an object has an acceleration, that is, the change in velocity, the net force acting on it is equal to the mass of the object times the object’s acceleration. We can write it in the mathematical formula for such instances as:

Force = Mass x Acceleration

In a situation where two players apply different forces to the ball, one hitting the ball and the other tapping the ball, the mass will be constant here. Then, according to the second law of motion, the ball being hit will move faster than the one being tapped.

How does Newton’s Third Law apply to Field Hockey?

Newton’s third law of motion states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When the field hockey ball is hit with the stick, this law of motion applies. The impact of the field hockey stick on the ball would be the action force. The ball striking the field hockey stick produces a reaction force.

What Type of Energy Works in Field Hockey, and How?

In field hockey, potential and kinetic energies are used. When a field hockey player takes a shot, his bottom half is moved forward, while his top half is moved backwards by the same amount. In addition, most shooting techniques are governed by physics laws. The ‘hit the ball’ technique is one of them. During the shot, the field hockey player raises his hockey stick behind the body.

Consequently, some potential energy is stored in the stick, which converts into kinetic energy when moving slightly behind the hockey ball. Because momentum is conserved, when the stick touches a ball already at rest, the ball usually moves in the same direction as the stick. It is necessary to remember that in an isolated system, if two objects collide, their total momentum before and after the collision is equal. In other words, the power of two shots, namely ‘hit’ and ‘push,’ is determined by the players’ strength, whereas hitting is determined by the stored energy in the hockey stick. Therefore, it makes no sense to wonder why smaller players hit the ball as fast as big players.

Field hockey is one of the best examples of all three of Newton’s laws of motion. Watch the video to learn more about Newton’s laws of motion.

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