9781422274798

INTRODUCTION

Macaroni and cheese. Texting and emojis. STEM and sports. What? STEM—and sports? Yes! When one thinks about STEM classes and sports, they seem like opposites, right? You’re either in the classroom learning, or you’re on the playing field. But STEM and sports really do go together. STEM is education in four specific areas—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Rather than being taught as separate subjects, STEM curriculum is integrated together for real-world learning. When a science class visits an amusement park, the students learn the principles of physics, use math to make calculations, and learn about the engineering and technology used to construct roller coasters and other rides. Gymnastics is a sport that requires athletic strength and skill as well as artistic beauty, but it is also a sport that exemplifies science and energy. Newton’s laws of physics definitely apply to gymnastics. > Newton’s First Law: An object at rest stays at rest. In order to move, an external force must act on it. This defines the law of inertia. > Newton’s Second Law of Motion defines the famous F=ma equation. This law says that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. > Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Gymnasts make some amazing gravity-defying moves, but you might be surprised to find out there is lots of science behind those vaults and balance beam routines. Let’s take a look at the STEM concepts in gymnastics. We’ll explore concepts, like force, inertia, acceleration, and projectile motion—all important to the sport.

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