Physical Science - Term Paper Example

Physical Science Research Paper Science is defined as “The collective findings of humans about nature, and a process of gathering and organizing knowledge about nature” (Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt G-12). Many things are found in nature. Living creatures, like animals and plants, are plentiful specimens to be found in nature. Nonliving things can also be found in nature. Water and earth, for example, are nonliving things which can be readily found in almost all parts of the natural environment.

The physical sciences have been created for the specific purpose of gathering and organizing knowledge about the nonliving natural world (Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt 8). The basic principles of physical science are the primary branches under which the physical sciences have been specialized. Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt identify these branches as physics, chemistry and the earth sciences (8). Physics is “the study of such basic concepts as motion, force, energy, matter, heat, sound, light, and the components of atoms”.

Chemistry “builds on physics and tells us how matter is put together, how atoms combine to form molecules, and how the molecules combine to make the materials around us”. Earth Science integrates knowledge of physics and chemistry with studies of the earth, the oceans, and outer space (Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt 8). Each basic principle of physical science offers practical applications in the real world. The study of physics has been of particular use to the development and enhancement of the sport of rock climbing.

The following analysis has been conducted in an effort to explore and unveil the primary applications of the field of physics to the sport of rock climbing. A thorough understanding of the element of force has been a necessary part of the process which has given rise to the sport of rock climbing. Force is defined as a push or a pull and is necessary to speed up, slow down, or change the direction of an object (Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt 19). In the sport of rock climbing, many forces are at work.

In “The Most Dangerous Part of a Climb May be Just After You Start,” Michael J. O’Shea considers the forces acting on a rock climber throughout the duration of the activity. O’Shea’s considerations present a comprehensive portrait of circumstances encountered under traditional rock climbing conditions in which a climber is climbing a vertical wall affixed to karabiner and friction devices operated by a belayer partner. O’Shea demonstrates that the force of gravity is acting to pull the climber to the ground and is subsequently a constant consideration of the climber as he or she reaches higher and higher heights.

The climber is acting to push against the rock with feet and/or pull him or herself up along the rock with hands that generate a force (ideally) counteractive to the operating forces of gravity. If a climber should fall, “a force is exerted on the climber by the ground during the landing” (O’Shea 494). In Vector Mechanics for Engineers, Beer and Johnston provide a foundation for this claim with a description of Newton’s Second Law; an exploration of the relationship between force, mass and acceleration.

Because force of an object is calculated by its mass multiplied by its acceleration, a climber’s body mass is also a contributing factor to the results generated from a rock climbing fall (Beer and Johnston 526). Larger climbers will experience a greater force upon impact and “are at significantly increased risk of experiencing increased force on landing” (O’Shea 498). These are all physical considerations which should be granted consideration prior to and during the act of rock climbing.

The topic of friction is also relevant to the exploration, study, and development of the sport of rock climbing. Friction is an integral part of the belaying system utilized by rock climbers in an effort to protect their safety. Friction is defined as “The resistive force that opposes the motion or attempted motion of an object through a fluid or past another object with which it is in contact” (Hewitt, Suchocki and Hewitt G-6). In the case of rock climbing, friction is pursued between the rope upon which a climber is affixed and the friction tool through which the belayer has looped it.

Friction devices act to resist the falling motion of the climber by clinging to the rope material as the falling climber’s mass acts with gravity to create a force toward the ground. The greater the amount of frictional resistance to the downward pull, the slower the climber falls. One aspect of physics which is of particular concern to O’Shea’s consideration of the conditions encountered by rock climbers is static elongation. The static elongation of a rope is defined by O’Shea as the length of a rope when a standard weight of mass (80kg) is hung on it divided by the length of the rope with no weight attached to it (495).

The resulting number depicts the amount of length a rope is typically elongated by when it catches a climber’s entire weight. O’Shea’s research effectively demonstrates the mechanism by which static elongation is distorted when heavier people mount the rope. Given standard spring constant, heavier mass slightly lengthens the rope under pressure and can contribute to greater force absorbed by the falling climber upon impact with the ground (498). This effectively results in different conditions encountered by different people in the real world of rock climbing.

It is evident that the field of physics has contributed largely to the study and understanding of the much-loved sport of rock climbing. Rock climbing is just one of many real world activities enhanced by the physical sciences. Physics, chemistry, and Earth Science enable careful observers of the natural world to better understand the forces and dynamics that make up much of daily life. Physical science empowers man to make the most of the world around him. PERSONAL EVALUATION It is my informed opinion that the sport of rock climbing possesses the capacity to continue to improve as a result of attention paid to discoveries in the physical sciences.

Physical sciences should be emphasized in an effort to generate results that can be used to improve the safety and wellbeing of the general public. The work of O’Shea is an exciting example of continued research being conducted in the field of physics which targets real world results and applications to improve safety in the daily life of rock climbers. Additionally, physical sciences can be used to continue to provide people with fun and thrilling activities to participate in. Belaying is a unique manifestation of discoveries in the natural sciences which allows rock climbers to reach new and exciting heights.

Finally, emphasis on Earth Science in rock climbing may offer a unique perspective on a sport which is as much defined by the skill of its participants as it is characterized by the type of earth formations the climbers are mounting. All of these benefits can and have been garnered by the use and development of the physical sciences. As a rock climber, I thoroughly appreciate the study that has made what I do possible. Physics and related studies have made my favorite hobby possible and for this, I am very grateful.

I can’t wait to see what else physics has in store for the rock climbing community! Works Cited Beer, Ferdinand P. and Johnston, E. Russell Jr. Vector Mechanics for Engineers. New York: 1988. McGraw Hill Book Company Hewitt, Paul G., Suchocki, John. and Hewitt, Leslie A. Conceptual Physical Science. San Francisco: 2003. Pearson Addison Wesley. O’Shea, Michael J. “The Most Dangerous Point in a Climb May Be Just After You Start.” Physics Education 43.5 (2008): 494-499. Web. 23 April 2011.