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Skateboard Physics
Einstein's writings on the relationship between gravity and acceleration are well known to physicists. To honor Einstein's groundbreaking work in this field, the judges challenged finalists to consider the forces of gravity and acceleration experienced by skateboarders and bikers on a half-pipe ramp.
With high-speed digital cameras, computers, and technicians at their disposal, finalists predicted the g-forces at given points on a skater's or biker's line of travel path and then fabricated an accelerometer device to verify their predictions. Judges evaluated the processes finalists used to make predictions, how data and images were gathered, and how teams arrived at their final conclusions. |
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Working with a model of the half-pipe ramp and marbles, Daniel Jakubisin of Team Yellow contemplates the challenge of predicting g-forces.
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A professional skateboarder from Creative Sports, Inc. demonstrates physics in action.
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[From left] David Westrich, David Marash-Whitman, Julia Fanning, and Celine Saucier of Team Grey anxiously watch the boarders. Teammate Sravya Keremane videotapes the maneuvers for later analysis.
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Adam Savage (front) and Jamie Hyneman (back) of Mythbusters huddle with Team Yellow to analyze one biker's speed and g-forces.
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A skateboarder listens to instructions from finalists about which maneuvers to perform and how fast to go in order to test the team's theories.
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Christine Johns pauses to give a high-five to teammate Shireen Dhir after successfully completing the Skateboard Physics challenge.
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Team Yellow observes the speed and gravitational pull of a stunt biker, while behind another team works their way through the laser obstacle course.
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Charts and graphs of each skateboarder's and biker's speed and gravity are analyzed by the team.
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| PHOTOS: By Richard Cho |
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