Gymnastics: Newton's Laws Of Motion

The success of her landing deals with the components of maintaining stability. To maintain stability, one must keep the center of gravity directly above and within the base of support (the feet), have a larger base (spread feet further apart), move the center of gravity closer to the base, and extend the base in the direction of the outgoing force (3). As the gymnast lands, her feet are slightly angled in front of her meaning her base is in the direction of the outgoing force. When the gymnast lands, she lands upright with her feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Doing this causes her center of gravity to remain neutral while moving close to the base of support. With all these necessary components, the gymnast can ensure she lands in a way to reduce injury while maximizing her score. Though the center of gravity and

Newton’s Laws of Motion can be directly applied to numerous aspects of gymnastics including “The Biles.” Newton’s first law, the law of inertia (when applied to rotary force), states that a rotating body will continue to rotate around its axis with constant angular momentum until acted upon by an external force (2, 3, 6). When the gymnast performs any skill that requires the feet to rotate over the head, this law can be seen. During the double layout, the gymnast continues to spin because nothing is stopping her from doing so. As the gymnast descends and performs the twist, she continues to move until she meets the floor. The floor is what stops her motion; without it, she would continue to rotate. The second law is the law