In the 1968 Olympic Games, University of Oregon jumper Dick Fosbury introduced a
ID: 2101302 • Letter: I
Question
In the 1968 Olympic Games, University of Oregon jumper Dick Fosbury
introduced a new technique of high jumping called the "Fosbury flop."
It contributed to raising the world record by about 30 cm and is
presently used by nearly every world-class jumper. In this technique,
the jumper goes over the bar face up while arching his back as much as
possible, as shown below. This action places his center of mass outside
his body, below his back. As his body goes over the bar, his center of
mass passes below the bar. Because a given energy input implies a
certain elevation for his center of mass, the action of arching his
back means his body is higher than if his back were straight. As a
model, consider the jumper as a thin, uniform rod of length L.
When the rod is straight, its center of mass is at its center. Now bend
the rod in a circular arc so that it subtends an angle of ? = 90
Explanation / Answer
Let
? = angle of arc = 94