THE ICE SKATER SPIN

Joseph Stanovsky PhD 2013 by J. S. ABSTRACT In a 1998 paper of the Meteorological Society Anders Persson [1] introduces a short, elegant analysis of a spinning ice skater. That solution was extracted from the class notes of Richard Feynmans [2] from a physics class. This paper about an ice skaters spin is an engineers view of the dynamics of that skaters performance. INTRODUCTION Figure 1 shows an ice skater in two positions of the spin maneuver.

Arms overhead

z
G

z
G

Figure 1: Two positions of an ice skater. The figure with arms out is a position preliminary to the spin. The fast spin position is produced with the arms extended over head. The z-axis moment of inertia of the chest, trunk and legs is assumed Izz. The contribution to the z-axis moment of inertia for two arm positions are labeled Iout and Iup. The sums 1and 2 of the three contributions to two z-axis moment of inertia are shown in eq. (1). 1= Izz +Iout 2 =Izz +Iup (1) A PLANE MOTION SOLUTION The definition of force is F = d(mv)/dt. If mass m is constant F= m dv/dt. This definition of force is used to develop a general force equation. The general force equation is simplified to a plane motion equation. The moment or torque equation is developed by using the force equation and simplifying the result for plane motion conditions. The two x-y plane motion dynamics equations, force F and torque T, are defined in eq. (2) in which M is mass, aG is the centroidal acceleration (axand ay) and the moment center of the torque equation is at the center of gravity G and two z-axis moments of inertia are in eq. (1). F = M aG TG = Izz z (2) The force equation is not used in the proposed solution of an ice skaters spin adventure. However, a skater does utilize this effect in a very real way. A skater starts her spin with her leg. If she begins her spin motion skating on her left foot she uses the momentum (product of leg mass and velocity of leg centroid) of her right foot by swinging her right leg and thus initiating the rotary motion. Both force and torque equations in eq. (2) are unusable for the intended solution. It is necessary to transform both to Work-Energy equations. In the force equation substitute dv/dt for

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The Ice Skater Spins

aG and then multiply both sides by v. In the torque equation substitute d/dt for z and multiply both sides of the torque equation by . Both equations are restated in eq. (3). F v dt = F ds = M v dv TG dt = Izz d (3) The left side of the force equation in eq. (3) is the linear work integral F ds (foot pound). The left side of the torque equation is the integral of angular work T d (foot pound radian). The (foot pound) and the (foot pound radian) are equal because a radian is unit free. WORK- ENERGY The angular work-energy equation is used in the solution of a skaters spin trick. It is the right hand side of the torque equation that is used, after integration. That is, the angular energy vector is 1/2 2 Izz. Equation (4) is the angular work-energy vector for the arms perpendicular to the body in which the angular velocity is 1and eq. (5) is the angular work energy vector for arms pressed above the head rotating at angular velocity 2. The subscripts identify two different solutions. 1/2 2 I 1/2 (Izz +Iout )2 1 zz 1 (4) 1/2 2 I 1/2 (Izz +Iup) 2 (5) 2 zz 2 The skater starts with arms out and during the skating program moves her arms to her chest and then moves her arms vertically. Equations (4) and (5) are set equal in eq. (6). 1/2 (Izz +Iout )2 = 1/2 (Izz +Iup) 2 1 2 Equation (6) is simplified to eq. (7). (Izz +Iout ) (Izz +Iup) = 2 1 2 2 (6)

(7)

CONCLUSIONS Equation (7) indicates the angular velocity 2 is greater than 1 if Iout > Iup. It is assumed the energy input is the same for both the arms out spread or the arms overhead.

REFERENCES 1. Anders Persson, How Do We Understand the Coriolis Force?, Bulletin of The American Meteorological Society, 1998. 2. Feynman, R.P., R.B. Leighton and M. Sands, 1971; The Feynman Lectures on Physics, I. Addison Wesley.

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