In sports physics, there are three important ideas: work, energy, and power. These ideas are closely connected to how athletes perform and how their bodies move.

Work

Work happens when energy moves from one place to another because of a force acting over a distance.

You can think of work like this:

• Work (W) is measured in joules.
• Force (F) is how strong the push or pull is, measured in newtons.
• Distance (d) is how far the force moves something, measured in meters.
• Angle (θ) is the tilt between the force and the direction of motion.

In sports, work is really important. For example, when a sprinter pushes against the ground to run faster, they are doing work.

Energy

Energy is what allows someone to do work. In sports, we usually talk about two types of energy:

• Kinetic energy – this is the energy of motion.
• Potential energy – this is stored energy that depends on position.

Kinetic energy can be calculated with this simple formula:

• Kinetic Energy (KE) = 1/2 × mass (m) × speed (v) squared.

So, if a sprinter weighs 70 kg and runs at a speed of 10 meters per second, we can find their kinetic energy like this:

• KE = 1/2 × 70 × (10)² = 3500 joules.

Power

Power measures how fast work is done or how quickly energy is used. You can calculate it using this formula:

• Power (P) = Work (W) / time (t).

Here:

• Power (P) is measured in watts.
• Work (W) is in joules.
• Time (t) is in seconds.

Power is very important for athletes. For example, Olympic weightlifters can lift over 1000 watts of power during their lifts.

Relationships

These three ideas are all connected to how well an athlete performs:

1. Work: The amount of work an athlete does affects how much energy they use and how well they can perform.
2. Energy: The energy an athlete uses in a sport affects their efficiency and how long they can keep going.
3. Power: High power is needed for quick movements, like jumping or sprinting. This shows how power impacts performance.

In short, knowing how work, energy, and power relate to each other helps athletes train better and improve their performance in sports.