One of the things that I did this summer to improve myself was commit to getting on my bike more often and for longer distances. While I was on one of my rides last week I was reminded of a the Open University’s series The Science Behind the Bike. As I watched one of those clips I noticed a related video on YouTube. That related video was The Physics of Cycling produced by Physics World. Physics World also produced The Physics of Running and The Physics of Swimming.

Applications for Education
All three of the Physics World videos mentioned above include discussions of the physics of the equipment in the sport and the physiology of the sport. After showing one or all of the videos to your students, challenge them to design a better piece of equipment to improve speed in a sport. Or in a physical education class have them test out techniques for improved speed and record the times to compare each technique used.