Event Title
The Science of Snowboarding
Faculty Sponsor
Michael Hitchman
Location
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Date
5-13-2011 3:00 PM
End Date
5-13-2011 4:30 PM
Subject Area
Mathematics (applied)
Description
Have you ever watched professional snowboarders before? If so, one of the first things you may have noticed was the many impressive tricks and skilled maneuvers they execute during a run. Maybe, if you are a snowboarder, you have even learned to do some of these tricks yourself. One of the most impressive of these maneuvers involves the snowboarder doing jumps over a very large semicircle shaped structure, commonly known as a “halfpipe.” Although the tricks many experienced snowboarders can perform are very impressive, is it possible that with the use of a more finely tuned “halfpipe” design, snowboarders could execute even more impressive tricks? During our team’s participation in the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications contest—a competition in which a team of three students attempts to solve a given real-world math-related problem—this is exactly what we investigated. We carefully looked at designs for “halfpipes” and came up with our own version in an attempt to solve the given problem.
Recommended Citation
Broussard, Sierra; Davis, Zachary; and Evitts, Kyle, "The Science of Snowboarding" (2011). Science and Social Sciences. Event. Submission 27.
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/studsymp_sci/2011/all/27
The Science of Snowboarding
Jereld R. Nicholson Library
Have you ever watched professional snowboarders before? If so, one of the first things you may have noticed was the many impressive tricks and skilled maneuvers they execute during a run. Maybe, if you are a snowboarder, you have even learned to do some of these tricks yourself. One of the most impressive of these maneuvers involves the snowboarder doing jumps over a very large semicircle shaped structure, commonly known as a “halfpipe.” Although the tricks many experienced snowboarders can perform are very impressive, is it possible that with the use of a more finely tuned “halfpipe” design, snowboarders could execute even more impressive tricks? During our team’s participation in the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications contest—a competition in which a team of three students attempts to solve a given real-world math-related problem—this is exactly what we investigated. We carefully looked at designs for “halfpipes” and came up with our own version in an attempt to solve the given problem.
Comments
Presenter: Zachary Davis