IN TENNIS, hard courts are generally described as 鈥渟low鈥� since they make
balls bounce at a higher angle, and hence at a lower speed. But it鈥檚 a different
story for the players themselves, and physicist Rod Cross from the University of
Sydney has been measuring the friction between various surfaces to find out why.
Cross found that tiny grains of sand on the hard court surface can act either as
ball bearings or sandpaper. The sand gets trapped in the tennis ball fabric and
scrapes along the ground, slowing the ball down. But when a shoe slides on the
sand, it sweeps excess grains out of the way, leaving a single layer of rollers
that helps the player move around the court faster (The Physics Teacher,
vol 39, p 330).
More from New 女生小视频
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
People are vibe coding copyrighted apps with AI 鈥� will tech firms sue?
Comment
Health
Cholesterol may disrupt the brain’s cleaning system in Alzheimer’s disease
News
Technology
Digital scents could add a new dimension to virtual worlds
News
Environment
Falling sea levels due to El Ni帽o will hit mangroves and corals
News
Popular articles
Trending New 女生小视频 articles