9781422274811

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CHAPTER

FORCES THAT ACT ON A SOCCER BALL

Soccer is a complex sport, but you probably never thought of soccer as having complex physics. Many different forces affect a soccer ball. Think about the F=ma equation— force is equal to mass times acceleration . This means that the more the ball weighs, the harder it is to kick. Soccer balls range in size from 1 to 5, as measured by the ball’s circumference . The largest ball is size 5 and is used by all leagues for players age twelve or over, including high

school teams, college teams, semiprofessional teams, and in the professional ranks of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Fédération Internationale de Football Association ( FIFA ). A size 5 ball is about twenty- eight inches in circumference and weighs between fourteen and sixteen ounces (420 to 450 grams), or about a pound. (As a side note, the ball is weighed before each match but can actually weigh more during

A soccer ball will stay at rest until acted on by a kicker.

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